Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

सेतौ च कति तीर्थानि गंधमादनपर्वते । एतन्नः श्रद्दधानानां ब्रूहि पौराणिकोत्तम

Transliteration

setau ca kati tīrthāni gaṃdhamādanaparvate | etannaḥ śraddadhānānāṃ brūhi paurāṇikottama

Translation

«كم عدد التيـرثا، مواضع الاغتسال المقدّسة، في سيتو وعلى جبل غندهامادانا؟ أخبرنا بذلك، يا أفضل رواة البورانا، فنحن ممتلئون إيمانًا.»

Word by Word

• सेतौ: in/at the bridge (Setu)
• सेतौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सेतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; locative singular

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

• कति: how many
• कति: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक-प्रश्नवाचक विशेषण; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; agrees with 'तीर्थानि'

• तीर्थानि: pilgrimage places
• तीर्थानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; nominative plural

• गन्धमादनपर्वते: on Mount Gandhamādana
• गन्धमादनपर्वते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्धमादन + पर्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative): 'गन्धमादनस्य पर्वते'; पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; locative singular

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; accusative singular

• नः: of us / our
• नः: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; genitive plural enclitic

• श्रद्दधानानाम्: of the faithful
• श्रद्दधानानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रद्दधान (कृदन्त; √धा (धातु) + श्रद्धा-उपसर्गार्थ)
• Form: वर्तमानकालिक कृदन्त (शतृ-प्रत्ययार्थ/प्रायः); बहुवचन, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध); masculine/neuter genitive plural; 'of (those) having faith'

• ब्रूहि: tell (please)
• ब्रूहि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पौराणिकोत्तम: O best of the Purāṇa-knowers
• पौराणिकोत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पौराणिक + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय: 'उत्तमः पौराणिकः'; पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; vocative singular

Speaker

Ṛṣis (the sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setu (Setubandha/Rāma-setu) and Gandhamādana

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: assembled sages (muni-puṅgavas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A circle of sages respectfully questions the Purāṇic narrator about the number and nature of tīrthas at the oceanic Setu and the sacred mountain Gandhamādana; palm-leaf manuscripts, water-pot, and a distant vision of sea-bridge and fragrant mountain.

Characters & Entities

• Setu
• Gandhamādana
• Tīrtha
• Sūta (Paurāṇika)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Faith seeks precise sacred geography—knowing tīrthas is itself part of pilgrimage-dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setu and Mount Gandhamādana, both treated as tīrtha-rich sacred landscapes.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, tīrtha-sevana (visiting and bathing at holy fords), though no single rite is specified.