Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

शृणु व्रतस्य माहात्म्यं वक्ष्यामि प्रथमं तव । ब्रह्मचर्यव्रतं सारं व्रतानामुत्तमं व्रतम्

Transliteration

śṛṇu vratasya māhātmyaṃ vakṣyāmi prathamaṃ tava | brahmacaryavrataṃ sāraṃ vratānāmuttamaṃ vratam

Translation

Höre die Größe dieses Gelübdes; zuerst will ich sie dir verkünden. Das Gelübde des Brahmacarya (heilige Enthaltsamkeit) ist das Wesen aller Gelübde — das höchste unter den Observanzen.

Word by Word

• शृणु: listen
• शृणु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• व्रतस्य: of the vow
• व्रतस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• माहात्म्यम्: greatness, glory
• माहात्म्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• वक्ष्यामि: I will tell
• वक्ष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• प्रथमम्: first
• प्रथमम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रथम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverbial accusative: ‘firstly’)

• तव: to you / of you
• तव: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• ब्रह्मचर्यव्रतम्: the vow of celibacy
• ब्रह्मचर्यव्रतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मचर्य (प्रातिपदिक) + व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (ब्रह्मचर्यस्य व्रतम्)

• सारम्: essence, best part
• सारम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (ब्रह्मचर्यव्रतम्)

• व्रतानाम्: of vows
• व्रतानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• उत्तमम्: supreme, best
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (व्रतम्)

• व्रतम्: vow
• व्रतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

Brahmā

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nārada

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā begins narrating the vow’s greatness; a symbolic depiction of a disciplined pilgrim: simple clothing, water pot, tulasī beads, controlled gaze; a luminous aura (tejas) suggests brahmacarya’s power.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Brahmacarya is presented as the core discipline that strengthens all other vows and spiritual practices.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it is a vrata-māhātmya statement within the larger section.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Adopt brahmacarya as a formal vow (vrata), especially as a foundational observance supporting other rites.