Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

सर्पान्पृच्छस्व गरुड मम मातृविमोक्षणे । युष्माकं मातुः किं कार्यं मयेति वदताधुना

Transliteration

sarpānpṛcchasva garuḍa mama mātṛvimokṣaṇe | yuṣmākaṃ mātuḥ kiṃ kāryaṃ mayeti vadatādhunā

Translation

„O Garuḍa, befrage die Schlangen über meine Befreiung; frage sie, was für eure Mutter zu tun ist — sie sollen es jetzt aussprechen.“

Word by Word

• सर्पान्: the serpents
• सर्पान्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन

• पृच्छस्व: ask (yourself)/ask
• पृच्छस्व: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पृच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• गरुड: O Garuda
• गरुड: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गरुड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• मातृविमोक्षणे: in/for (the matter of) mother’s release
• मातृविमोक्षणे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक) + विमोक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (मातुः विमोक्षणम्)

• युष्माकम्: of you (all)/your
• युष्माकम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन

• मातुः: of (your) mother
• मातुः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• कार्यम्: task/need
• कार्यम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• इति: thus
• इति: Vākya-sambandha (Discourse marker/वाक्यसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरण/समाप्तिसूचक

• वदत: say/tell
• वदत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• अधुना: now
• अधुना: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अधुना (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (now)

Speaker

Vinatā (instructing Garuḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setukṣetra (Rāmeśvara)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vinatā advises Garuḍa to approach the serpents and ask what must be done for her release; the scene foreshadows a tense parley with nāgas.

Characters & Entities

• Vinatā
• Garuḍa
• Nāgas/serpents

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even amid oppression, dharma proceeds through clear inquiry and defined obligations, aiming at rightful liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is named; it remains within the Setukhaṇḍa’s broader sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.