Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 73

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । तच्छ्रुत्वा पद्मजस्तस्य पथ्यंपथ्यं वचोऽखिलम् । श्रुतिं प्रमाणतां नीत्वा ततो वचनमब्रवीत्

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | tacchrutvā padmajastasya pathyaṃpathyaṃ vaco'khilam | śrutiṃ pramāṇatāṃ nītvā tato vacanamabravīt

Translation

Sūta sprach: Nachdem Padmaja (Brahmā) all seine Worte vernommen hatte—das Heilsame wie das Unheilsame—und die Śruti als maßgebliche Autorität anerkannt hatte, erwiderte er daraufhin.

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta (the narrator)
• सूतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; (तत् + श्रुत्वा इति सन्धि)

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive)

• पद्मजः: Padmaja (Brahmā)
• पद्मजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: padma + ja (प्रातिपदिक; पद्मज)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (पद्मात् जातः)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• पथ्यम्: wholesome (right)
• पथ्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pathya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; (पथ्यम् + अपथ्यम् इति समाहार-द्वन्द्वार्थे पुनरुक्ति)

• अपथ्यम्: unwholesome (wrong)
• अपथ्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: a-pathya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• वचः: speech/statement
• वचः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vacas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• अखिलम्: entire, all
• अखिलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: akhila (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; वचः इति विशेषण

• श्रुतिम्: scriptural hearing/Śruti
• श्रुतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śruti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• प्रमाणताम्: the status of authority
• प्रमाणताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pramāṇatā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• नीत्वा: having led/brought
• नीत्वा: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नी (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive)

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• वचनम्: words, statement
• वचनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vacana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• अब्रवीत्: spoke
• अब्रवीत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (implied Sūta-saṃhitā frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta narrates; Brahmā (Padmaja) listens intently, weighing words as ‘pāthya/apāthya’, then prepares to respond with the authority of Śruti.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Padmaja (Brahmā)
• Śruti
• Yakṣma (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even within Purāṇic narrative, final judgment of right practice is anchored in Śruti as pramāṇa (authoritative standard).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it introduces Brahmā’s doctrinally grounded response within the Tīrthamāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Use Śruti-based discernment to determine proper yajña conduct, especially regarding satisfaction/feeding obligations.