Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ऋषय ऊचुः । द्वैपायनविनेय त्वं सूत पौराणिकोत्तम । देवीपत्तनपर्यंतं चक्रतीर्थमनुत्तमम्

Transliteration

ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | dvaipāyanavineya tvaṃ sūta paurāṇikottama | devīpattanaparyaṃtaṃ cakratīrthamanuttamam

Translation

Die Weisen sprachen: O Sūta, Schüler des Dvaipāyana, Bester unter den Kennern der Purāṇas—berichte uns vom unvergleichlichen Cakratīrtha, das sich bis Devīpattana erstreckt.

Word by Word

• ऋषयः: sages
• ऋषयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• द्वैपायनविनेय: O disciple of Dvaipāyana (Vyāsa)
• द्वैपायनविनेय: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वैपायन + विनेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन; पुल्लिङ्ग; तत्पुरुष-समासः (द्वैपायनस्य विनेयः = Vyāsa’s disciple)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Sambodhyamantra/Pratiyogin (Addressee as subject/सम्बोधित)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• सूत: O Sūta
• सूत: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन; पुल्लिङ्ग

• पौराणिकोत्तम: O best of Purāṇa-knowers
• पौराणिकोत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पौराणिक + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन; पुल्लिङ्ग; कर्मधारय-समासः (पौराणिकेषु उत्तमः)

• देवीपत्तनपर्यन्तम्: up to Devīpattana
• देवीपत्तनपर्यन्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: देवी + पत्तन + पर्यन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण; तत्पुरुष-समासः (देवीपत्तनं पर्यन्तं यावत्)

• चक्रतीर्थम्: Cakra-tīrtha
• चक्रतीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्र + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (चक्रस्य तीर्थम्)

• अनुत्तमम्: unsurpassed
• अनुत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण

Speaker

Ṛṣis (Sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Cakratīrtha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sūta (paurāṇika)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Forest hermitage assembly: sages seated in a semicircle addressing Sūta with folded hands; behind them a stylized map-like coastal horizon suggesting Setu; palm-leaf manuscripts present.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Dvaipāyana (Vyāsa)
• Devīpattana
• Cakratīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred knowledge is best received through humble inquiry—pilgrimage lore (tīrtha-māhātmya) is preserved by questioning realized narrators.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Cakratīrtha, described as extending up to Devīpattana, within the Setukhaṇḍa’s Rāmasetu region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse initiates a request for the māhātmya (glory) of the tīrtha.