Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

प्रह्लाद उवाच । भो भूमिदेवाः शृणुत परं गुह्यं सनातनम् । यत्कस्यचिन्न चाख्यातं तद्वदामि सुविस्तरात्

Transliteration

prahlāda uvāca | bho bhūmidevāḥ śṛṇuta paraṃ guhyaṃ sanātanam | yatkasyacinna cākhyātaṃ tadvadāmi suvistarāt

Translation

普罗诃罗陀说道：“噢，大地之神（婆罗门们）啊，请聆听这至上、隐秘而永恒的教诲；此法非随便向人宣露，我将为你们详尽开示。”

Word by Word

• प्रह्लादः: Prahlāda
• प्रह्लादः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रह्लाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• भो: O!
• भो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भो (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बोधन-निपात (vocative particle/interjection)

• भूमिदेवाः: O brāhmaṇas (gods of the earth)
• भूमिदेवाः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative/Nominative form used in address), बहुवचन (Plural); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (भूमेः देवाः)

• शृणुत: listen
• शृणुत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), बहुवचन (Plural), परस्मैपद

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• गुह्यम्: secret
• गुह्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुह्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• सनातनम्: eternal
• सनातनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सनातन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• यत्: which (that)
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular); सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• कस्यचित्: of anyone
• कस्यचित्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + चित् (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular); अनिश्चितार्थ (indefinite: 'of someone')

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

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• आख्यातम्: told/declared
• आख्यातम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-ख्या (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); निर्देश-सर्वनाम (demonstrative)

• वदामि: I speak
• वदामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• सुविस्तरात्: in great detail
• सुविस्तरात्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + विस्तार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; पञ्चमी-एकवचन-रूपेण (Ablative sense) क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial)

Speaker

Prahlāda

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas (bhūmidevāḥ)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Prahlāda addresses the brāhmaṇas as ‘bhūmidevāḥ’, announcing a supreme secret eternal teaching and promising a detailed exposition—solemn opening of a doctrinal section.

Characters & Entities

• Prahlāda
• Bhūmidevas (brāhmaṇas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred knowledge is ‘guhya’ and should be received through attentive listening and proper qualification, especially in matters of tīrtha and devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not named in this verse; it introduces the detailed teaching that centers on Dvārakā and its sacred merits.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is an invitation to hear the full instruction.