Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मणा ऊत्रुः । आसीत्पूर्वं मुनिश्रेष्ठो लिखिताख्यो महीतले । शांडिल्यस्य मुनेः पुत्रस्तपोवीर्यसमन्वितः

Transliteration

brāhmaṇā ūtruḥ | āsītpūrvaṃ muniśreṣṭho likhitākhyo mahītale | śāṃḍilyasya muneḥ putrastapovīryasamanvitaḥ

Translation

ব্রাহ্মণরা বললেন—পূর্বকালে পৃথিবীতে ‘লিখিত’ নামে এক মুনিশ্রেষ্ঠ ছিলেন; তিনি মুনি শাণ্ডিল্যের পুত্র এবং তপোবলে সমন্বিত।

Word by Word

• ब्राह्मणाः: the Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• आसीत्: there was
• आसीत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत/Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• पूर्वम्: formerly
• पूर्वम्: Adverbial (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb of time)

• मुनि-श्रेष्ठः: a foremost sage
• मुनि-श्रेष्ठः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास (कर्मधारय: मुनिः एव श्रेष्ठः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• लिखित-आख्यः: named ‘Likhita’
• लिखित-आख्यः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण) of मुनिश्रेष्ठः
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लिखित (प्रातिपदिक/नाम) + आख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास (तत्पुरुष: लिखित इति आख्या यस्य), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण

• मही-तले: on the surface of the earth
• मही-तले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही (प्रातिपदिक) + तल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास (तत्पुरुष: मह्याः तलम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• शाण्डिल्यस्य: of Śāṇḍilya
• शाण्डिल्यस्य: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाण्डिल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• मुनेः: of the sage
• मुनेः: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• पुत्रः: son
• पुत्रः: Apposition/Predicate nominative (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• तपस्-वीर्य-समन्वितः: endowed with austerity and vigor
• तपस्-वीर्य-समन्वितः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण) of पुत्रः/मुनिश्रेष्ठः
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक) + वीर्य (प्रातिपदिक) + सम् (उपसर्ग) + अन्वि/इ (धातु) → समन्वित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: समास (तत्पुरुष: तपसा वीर्येण च समन्वित), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण

Speaker

Brahmin sages

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śaṅkhatīrtha (origin narrative begins)

Type: tirtha

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājā

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene hermitage: Likhita r̥ṣi seated in meditation or teaching posture, with ascetic implements, deer, and students; a sense of ancient authority and quiet power.

Characters & Entities

• Likhita
• Śāṇḍilya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha-origins are rooted in the lives of ṛṣis; austerity (tapas) and dharma generate sacred power in the world.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śaṅkhatīrtha indirectly—this verse begins the backstory leading to its manifestation and fame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it introduces the protagonists of the tīrtha’s origin narrative.