Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

रम्यां मनोरमां भूमिं न पश्यामि कथंचन । भृगुरुवाच । विप्राणां स्थापनार्थाय मयापि भ्रमता पुरा

Transliteration

ramyāṃ manoramāṃ bhūmiṃ na paśyāmi kathaṃcana | bhṛguruvāca | viprāṇāṃ sthāpanārthāya mayāpi bhramatā purā

Translation

„Ich sehe auf keine Weise ein Land, das wahrhaft lieblich und glückverheißend ist.“ Bhṛgu sprach: „Einstmals bin auch ich umhergewandert, um einen Ort zu finden, an dem die Brāhmaṇas angesiedelt werden können—“.

Word by Word

• रम्याम्: beautiful
• रम्याम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• मनोरमाम्: charming, delightful
• मनोरमाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मनोरम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• भूमिम्: earth, land
• भूमिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• पश्यामि: I see
• पश्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• कथंचन: in any way; at all
• कथंचन: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथंचन (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/निश्चयार्थे (adverb: in any way/at all)

• भृगुः: Bhṛgu
• भृगुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भृगु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्शभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• विप्राणाम्: of the brāhmaṇas
• विप्राणाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• स्थापनार्थाय: for the purpose of establishing
• स्थापनार्थाय: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान-प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थापन + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (अर्थे चतुर्थी/उद्देश्यः: स्थापनस्य अर्थः); पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (सम्प्रदान/प्रयोजन), एकवचन

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

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-अव्यय (also/even)

• भ्रमता: while wandering
• भ्रमता: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भ्रम् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ-प्रत्यय), परस्मैपदी; पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘भ्रमन्’ = wandering

• पुरा: formerly, earlier
• पुरा: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

Speaker

Bhṛgu (explicit)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nārada

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Bhṛgu, staff in hand, speaks while recalling long wanderings across the earth, his gaze searching for a land fit for dharma and brāhmaṇa establishment; the background suggests varied landscapes fading into distance.

Characters & Entities

• Bhṛgu
• Vipra/Brāhmaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A truly dharmic foundation (settlement, donation, worship) requires a place aligned with purity and auspiciousness, not mere worldly attractiveness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The identification unfolds next: the Mahī river, described as embodying all tīrthas, and her ocean-confluence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Vipra-sthāpana (establishing/settling brāhmaṇas) is introduced as the motivating dharmic aim.