Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

व्यास उवाच । अतः परं प्रवक्ष्यामि ब्रह्मणा यत्कृतं पुरा । तत्सर्वं कथयाम्यद्य शृणुष्वैकाग्रमानसः

Transliteration

vyāsa uvāca | ataḥ paraṃ pravakṣyāmi brahmaṇā yatkṛtaṃ purā | tatsarvaṃ kathayāmyadya śṛṇuṣvaikāgramānasaḥ

Translation

Vyāsa sprach: Von nun an werde ich darlegen, was Brahmā einst in alter Zeit vollbrachte. Heute erzähle ich alles; höre zu mit auf einen Punkt gesammeltem Geist.

Word by Word

• vyāsaḥ: Vyāsa
• vyāsaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vyāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (वच्) (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• ataḥ: thereafter/then
• ataḥ: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः—हेतौ/अनन्तरार्थ (thereafter/from this)

• param: the next (thing)/further
• param: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; (अव्ययीभावार्थे ‘further/next’ इति)

• pravakṣyāmi: I shall explain/tell
• pravakṣyāmi: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + √vac (वच्) (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), परस्मैपद, उत्तम-पुरुष (1st), एकवचन

• brahmaṇā: by Brahmā
• brahmaṇā: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• yat: which/that (which)
• yat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• kṛtam: done/made
• kṛtam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √kṛ (कृ) (धातु)
• Form: कृत-प्रत्ययान्त (क्त, past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘done/made’

• purā: formerly/once
• purā: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: purā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (adverb of time)

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

• sarvam: all/entire
• sarvam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• kathayāmi: I narrate/tell
• kathayāmi: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kath (कथ्) (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, उत्तम-पुरुष (1st), एकवचन

• adya: today/now
• adya: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: adya (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (today/now)

• śṛṇuṣva: listen
• śṛṇuṣva: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śru (श्रु) (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), आत्मनेपद, मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd), एकवचन

• ekāgra-mānasaḥ: (you) whose mind is one-pointed
• ekāgra-mānasaḥ: Sambodhana/Viśeṣaṇa (Vocative-qualifier/सम्बोधन-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ekāgra (प्रातिपदिक) + mānasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (ekāgraṃ mānasaṃ yasya)

Speaker

Vyāsa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇyaka (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Unspecified interlocutor(s) in the Dharmāraṇyaka narrative frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vyāsa seated in a forest āśrama, holding palm-leaf manuscript, addressing attentive listeners seated respectfully; the atmosphere is calm, anticipatory, and contemplative.

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa
• Brahmā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred history bears fruit when heard with focused attention and receptivity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it serves as a transition into the kṣetra’s sacred narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śravaṇa (devotional listening) with ekāgratā is implied as the proper discipline.