Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

अहं हि ब्रह्मणो वाक्याद्विप्राणां स्थानकं शुभम् । दातुकामो महातीर्थे महीसागरसंगमे

Transliteration

ahaṃ hi brahmaṇo vākyādviprāṇāṃ sthānakaṃ śubham | dātukāmo mahātīrthe mahīsāgarasaṃgame

Translation

Auf Brahmās Geheiß begehre ich, den Brāhmaṇas eine glückverheißende Wohnstätte am großen Tīrtha zu schenken — am Zusammenfluss von Mahī (Erde/Fluss) und Ozean.

Word by Word

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा एकवचनम् (Nominative, Singular); सर्वनाम

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle): हि (indeed)

• brahmaṇaḥ: of Brahmā
• brahmaṇaḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे षष्ठी एकवचनम् (Neuter, Genitive, Singular)

• vākyāt: from the command/word
• vākyāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vākya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे पञ्चमी एकवचनम् (Neuter, Ablative, Singular)

• viprāṇām: of the Brahmins
• viprāṇām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे षष्ठी बहुवचनम् (Masculine, Genitive, Plural)

• sthānakam: a place/abode
• sthānakam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sthānaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम् (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• śubham: auspicious
• śubham: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śubha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम् (Neuter, Accusative, Singular); विशेषणम् (qualifier of sthānakam)

• dātu-kāmaḥ: desiring to give
• dātu-kāmaḥ: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dātu (√dā धातु, तुमुन् infinitive) + kāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम् (Masculine, Nominative, Singular); तत्पुरुषः: दातुं कामः (desirous to give)

• mahā-tīrthe: at the great tīrtha
• mahā-tīrthe: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे सप्तमी एकवचनम् (Neuter, Locative, Singular); कर्मधारयः: महत् तीर्थम् (at the great sacred ford)

• mahī-sāgara-saṃgame: at the confluence of earth and ocean
• mahī-sāgara-saṃgame: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahī (प्रातिपदिक) + sāgara (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃgama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे सप्तमी एकवचनम् (Masculine, Locative, Singular); तत्पुरुषः: महीसागरयोः संगमः (at the confluence of land and ocean / earth and sea)

Speaker

Nārada

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahātīrtha at Mahī–Sāgara Saṅgama (महीसागर-संगम)

Type: sangam

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārtha (outer frame); brāhmaṇas (immediate audience)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The divine sage declares Brahmā’s command to establish an auspicious brāhmaṇa dwelling at a great coastal confluence where land/river meets the ocean; waves and sacred atmosphere frame the proclamation.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• vipra (brāhmaṇas)
• mahātīrtha
• mahī-sāgara-saṅgama

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine instruction (Brahmā’s word) is fulfilled through dhārmic giving—supporting brāhmaṇas and sacred institutions at tīrthas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The mahātīrtha called Mahī–Sāgara-Saṅgama, the confluence of Mahī and the Ocean.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna in the form of granting an auspicious ‘sthānaka’ (dwelling/place) for brāhmaṇas at the tīrtha.