Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

नित्यं कृष्णकथा यस्य प्राणादपि गरीयसी । न तस्य दुर्ल्लभं किंचिदिह लोके परं नृप

Transliteration

nityaṃ kṛṣṇakathā yasya prāṇādapi garīyasī | na tasya durllabhaṃ kiṃcidiha loke paraṃ nṛpa

Translation

大王啊，若有人恒常以克里希纳的圣传为至爱，甚至胜过自身气息；则此人于此世与来世，皆无难得之物。

Word by Word

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• कृष्णकथा: talk of Kṛṣṇa
• कृष्णकथा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण-कथा (प्रातिपदिक; कृष्ण + कथा)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्ता (subject)

• यस्य: whose
• यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (relative genitive)

• प्राणात्: than life
• प्राणात्: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; अपादान (comparison/ablative)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावना/समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (particle: even/also)

• गरीयसी: more weighty, more important
• गरीयसी: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गरियस् (प्रातिपदिक; तुलनात्मक-विशेषण)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषण (comparative)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• तस्य: for him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive)

• दुर्लभम्: hard to obtain
• दुर्लभम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (predicate adjective)

• किञ्चित्: anything
• किञ्चित्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक (indefinite: anything)

• इह: here
• इह: Desha-adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरण (place)

• परम्: beyond, in the next (world)
• परम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (other/next; also ‘supreme’)

• नृप: O king
• नृप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (contextual continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kṛṣṇa-kathā (as inner tīrtha) / Dvārakā (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Indradyumna

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king listens as the sage describes the devotee whose heart clings to Kṛṣṇa-kathā more than breath; the devotee is shown surrounded by obstacles dissolving, with two pathways—worldly prosperity and spiritual ascent—both opening under Kṛṣṇa’s grace.

Characters & Entities

• Kṛṣṇa
• King (nṛpa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When devotion (bhakti) makes Kṛṣṇa-kathā supreme, both worldly welfare and spiritual attainment become naturally accessible.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The statement supports the Dvārakā-centered devotion to Kṛṣṇa, though the verse itself speaks generally of Kṛṣṇa-kathā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No external rite; it prescribes sustained devotion through continual engagement with Kṛṣṇa-kathā.