Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

ददर्श चाश्रमं पुण्यं मुनिसङ्घैः समाकुलम् । दृष्ट्वा मुनिसमूहं सा प्रणिपत्येदमब्रवीत्

Transliteration

dadarśa cāśramaṃ puṇyaṃ munisaṅghaiḥ samākulam | dṛṣṭvā munisamūhaṃ sā praṇipatyedamabravīt

Translation

Da erblickte sie eine heilige Āśrama, erfüllt von Versammlungen der Munis. Als sie die Schar der Ṛṣis sah, verneigte sie sich und sprach wie folgt.

Word by Word

• dadarśa: saw
• dadarśa: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• āśramam: hermitage
• āśramam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āśrama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• puṇyam: holy, meritorious
• puṇyam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: puṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘आश्रमम्’ इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषण

• munisaṅghaiḥ: by groups of sages
• munisaṅghaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक) + saṅgha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी/सम्बन्ध: मुनिनां सङ्घैः); पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन

• samākulam: crowded, filled
• samākulam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam- + ākula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘आश्रमम्’ इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषण

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• dṛṣṭvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त; पूर्वक्रिया (having seen)

• munisamūham: the assembly of sages
• munisamūham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक) + samūha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी/सम्बन्ध: मुनीनां समूहम्); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• sā: she
• sā: Kartā (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• praṇipatya: having prostrated
• praṇipatya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-ṇi-pat (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा/ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त; पूर्वक्रिया (having bowed down)

• idam: this (speech)
• idam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; वाक्यकर्म (object of speech)

• abravīt: said, spoke
• abravīt: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: brū (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator within Revā Khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Āśrama-tīrtha setting (unnamed)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A forest hermitage with thatched huts, sacrificial fires, deer and peacocks nearby; many sages seated in circles with japa-mālās and kamaṇḍalus; the pilgrim arrives, folds hands, and prostrates.

Characters & Entities

• Āśrama
• Ṛṣis (sages)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Approaching sages with humility is shown as the gateway to receiving tīrtha-knowledge and dharmic guidance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A puṇya-āśrama near the pilgrimage route, serving as a center for transmitting tīrtha-māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Praṇipāta (bowing) before sages as proper conduct for a seeker/pilgrim.