Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 95

Devanagari script

अतस्त्वमपि सर्वेभ्यो विषयेभ्यो निवृत्तधीः । भक्तिं परां समाधाय सत्कथां शृणु सर्वदा । शृण्वंत्याः सत्कथां नित्यं चेतस्ते शुद्धिमेष्यति

Transliteration

atastvamapi sarvebhyo viṣayebhyo nivṛttadhīḥ | bhaktiṃ parāṃ samādhāya satkathāṃ śṛṇu sarvadā | śṛṇvaṃtyāḥ satkathāṃ nityaṃ cetaste śuddhimeṣyati

Translation

Darum auch du: ziehe den Geist von allen Sinnesobjekten zurück, gründe dich in höchster Bhakti und höre stets die heilige Erzählung. Wenn du sie täglich hörst, wird dein Herz rein werden.

Word by Word

• अतः: therefore
• अतः: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atas (अव्यय)
• Form: हेत्वर्थक अव्यय (causal adverb: ‘therefore’)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (प्रातिपदिक; सर्वनाम)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा, एकवचन (2nd person pronoun, nominative singular)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: ‘also/even’)

• सर्वेभ्यः: from all
• सर्वेभ्यः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी, बहुवचन (ablative plural)

• विषयेभ्यः: from sense-objects
• विषयेभ्यः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, बहुवचन (masc ablative plural)

• निवृत्तधीः: with withdrawn mind
• निवृत्तधीः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nivṛtta + dhī (प्रातिपदिक; घटक: नि-√vṛt/वृत् क्त + धी)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः ‘यस्य धिः निवृत्ता’ (masc nom sg; one whose mind has turned away)

• भक्तिम्: devotion
• भक्तिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (fem accusative singular)

• पराम्: supreme
• पराम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (fem accusative singular)

• समाधाय: having fixed/established
• समाधाय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ā-√dhā (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund), ‘having placed/fixed’

• सत्कथाम्: holy discourse
• सत्कथाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sat + kathā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (fem accusative singular)

• शृणु: listen
• शृणु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śru (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन (imperative, 2nd sg)

• सर्वदा: always
• सर्वदा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sarvadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb of time)

• शृण्वत्याः: of (you) listening
• शृण्वत्याः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śru (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्यय वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (fem gen sg: ‘of you (f.) who are listening’)

• सत्कथाम्: holy discourse
• सत्कथाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sat + kathā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (fem accusative singular)

• नित्यम्: constantly
• नित्यम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nitya (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभाववत्)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb: ‘constantly’)

• चेतः: mind
• चेतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cetas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter nom/acc sg)

• ते: your
• ते: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (प्रातिपदिक; सर्वनाम)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचन (genitive singular: ‘your’)

• शुद्धिम्: purity
• शुद्धिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śuddhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (fem accusative singular)

• एष्यति: will attain
• एष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √i (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (simple future), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (future, 3rd sg)

Speaker

Unspecified (teacher/narrator addressing a listener, likely the woman referenced in nearby verses)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: The addressed woman

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee (the addressed woman) sits near a teacher, senses restrained, listening daily; the mind’s purification is symbolized by clear light around the head/heart.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Withdraw from worldly cravings, cultivate supreme devotion, and practice daily listening to sacred teachings for mental purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the focus is on inner discipline and devotional listening.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A sustained sādhana: vairāgya (withdrawal), parā-bhakti (supreme devotion), and daily satkathā-śravaṇa.