Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

कर्तव्यं तौ विनिश्चित्य सुदर्शनसुकर्णकौ । गोविंदस्वामिनामानं यमुनातटवासिनम्

Transliteration

kartavyaṃ tau viniścitya sudarśanasukarṇakau | goviṃdasvāmināmānaṃ yamunātaṭavāsinam

Translation

Nachdem Sudarśana und Sukarṇa beschlossen hatten, was zu tun sei, begaben sie sich zu dem Brahmanen namens Govindasvāmin, der am Ufer der Yamunā wohnte.

Word by Word

• kartavyam: (what is) to be done
• kartavyam: Karma (Object notion/कर्मभाव)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive/future passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘to be done’

• tau: those two
• tau: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन

• viniścitya: having ascertained/decided
• viniścitya: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi + nis + √ci (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund)

• sudarśanasukarṇakau: Sudarśana and Sukarṇa (the two)
• sudarśanasukarṇakau: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sudarśana + sukarṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; समासः—द्वन्द्व (सुदर्शनश्च सुकर्णश्च)

• goviṃdasvāmināmānam: named Govinda-svāmin
• goviṃdasvāmināmānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: govinda + svāmin + nāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (गोविन्दस्वामि-नाम)

• yamunātaṭavāsinam: dwelling on the bank of the Yamunā
• yamunātaṭavāsinam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yamunā + taṭa + vāsin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष (यमुनातटे वासी)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Yamunā-tīra (general)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sudarśana and Sukarṇa, humbled, approach Govindasvāmin on the Yamunā bank; the river flows calmly, with ghāṭa steps, kadamba trees, and a small āśrama; the brāhmaṇa sits with water-pot and rosary.

Characters & Entities

• Sudarśana
• Sukarṇa
• Govindasvāmin
• Yamunā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When afflicted, one should seek dharmic counsel from a virtuous teacher rather than sink into despair.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Yamunā riverbank is the sacred geographic marker here; it is presented as the setting for dharmic guidance.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse introduces the person and place they approach.