Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

महात्मनां ब्राह्मणानामृषीणामूर्ध्वरेतसाम् । तेषां वै पुत्रपौत्राणां नामानि च वदाम्यहम्

Transliteration

mahātmanāṃ brāhmaṇānāmṛṣīṇāmūrdhvaretasām | teṣāṃ vai putrapautrāṇāṃ nāmāni ca vadāmyaham

Translation

„Nun will ich die Namen der Söhne und Enkel jener großherzigen brāhmaṇischen ṛṣis verkünden, die in gezügelter Enthaltsamkeit stehen.“

Word by Word

• महात्मनाम्: of the great-souled
• महात्मनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (महान् आत्मा यस्य)

• ब्राह्मणानाम्: of the Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• ऋषीणाम्: of the sages
• ऋषीणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• ऊर्ध्वरेतसाम्: of the continent (celibate) ones
• ऊर्ध्वरेतसाम्: Sambandha (Genitive qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ऊर्ध्व-रेतस् (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (ऊर्ध्वं रेतः यस्य = celibate/continent)

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-निपात (particle of emphasis/indeed)

• पुत्रपौत्राणाम्: of (their) sons and grandsons
• पुत्रपौत्राणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र-पौत्र (प्रातिपदिक; समाहार-द्वन्द्व)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; द्वन्द्वः (पुत्राश्च पौत्राश्च)

• नामानि: names
• नामानि: Karman (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• वदामि: I tell
• वदामि: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उभयलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Vyāsa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vyāsa solemnly announces he will recite the names of sons and grandsons of great brāhmaṇa sages, depicted as austere, radiant ascetics in the forest hermitages.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa Ṛṣis
• Sons and grandsons (lineage)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma honors sanctity through lineage, self-restraint, and the preservation of sage-traditions by naming and remembering them.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The praise is contextual to Dharmāraṇya, whose resident sages and their lineages are being enumerated.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; the emphasis is on ascetic discipline (ūrdhvaretas) and the dharmic continuity of families and students.