Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 70

Devanagari script

शतानंद उवाच । वेदांतविज्ञानरहस्यविद्भिर्विज्ञेयमेतद्धि मुमुक्षुभिस्तु । शास्त्राणि सर्वाणि विहाय देव त्वत्सेवनं यद्रघुवीरनाथ

Transliteration

śatānaṃda uvāca | vedāṃtavijñānarahasyavidbhirvijñeyametaddhi mumukṣubhistu | śāstrāṇi sarvāṇi vihāya deva tvatsevanaṃ yadraghuvīranātha

Translation

Śatānanda sprach: „Dies ist von denen zu erkennen, die das Geheimnis vedantischer Weisheit kennen, besonders von Befreiungssuchenden: alle (bloße) Schriftstreiterei aufgebend, o Deva, soll man sich Deinem Dienst hingeben, o Herr des Helden aus Raghus Geschlecht (Rāma).“

Word by Word

• शतानन्दः: Śatānanda
• शतानन्दः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शतानन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• वेदान्तविज्ञानरहस्यविद्भिः: by knowers of the secret of Vedānta-knowledge
• वेदान्तविज्ञानरहस्यविद्भिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेदान्त-विज्ञान-रहस्य-विद् (प्रातिपदिक; वेदान्त + विज्ञान + रहस्य + विद्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• विज्ञेयम्: to be known
• विज्ञेयम्: Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्यय (Gerundive), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘to be known’

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karta/Predicate (प्रस्ताव्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha/Particle (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• मुमुक्षुभिः: by seekers of liberation
• मुमुक्षुभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुमुक्षु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• तु: but, indeed
• तु: Sambandha/Particle (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थ

• शास्त्राणि: scriptures
• शास्त्राणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शास्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• सर्वाणि: all
• सर्वाणि: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण (शास्त्राणि)

• विहाय: having left aside
• विहाय: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वि-हा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund), ‘having abandoned’

• देव: O god, O Lord
• देव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• त्वत्सेवनम्: service to you
• त्वत्सेवनम्: Karma/Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वत्-सेवन (प्रातिपदिक; त्वत् + सेवन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• यत्: which
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक

• रघुवीरनाथ: O Lord, hero of the Raghu line
• रघुवीरनाथ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रघु-वीर-नाथ (प्रातिपदिक; रघु + वीर + नाथ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

Speaker

Śatānanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setu-kṣetra—Rāmanātheśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rāmanātha / Raghavīra-nātha (addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śatānanda rishi instructs: learned Vedāntins and mumukṣus turn from disputation to humble service at Rāmanātha’s shrine; scrolls set aside, hands engaged in offering and cleaning.

Characters & Entities

• Śatānanda
• Vedānta
• Raghuvīra (Rāma)
• Rāmanātha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

For liberation-seekers, the ‘secret’ of Vedānta is fulfilled in devoted service to the Lord, not in mere textual accumulation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setu/Rāmeśvaram, by praising service to Rāmanātha (Rāmeśvara) as the consummate practice.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tvat-sevana—service/worship of Rāmanātha—recommended for mumukṣus.