Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

नानाविदा धर्मवार्ताः प्रकरिष्यसि ब्राह्मण । इत्युक्त्वा विजयाद्यास्ता देवीचरितवर्णनैः

Transliteration

nānāvidā dharmavārtāḥ prakariṣyasi brāhmaṇa | ityuktvā vijayādyāstā devīcaritavarṇanaiḥ

Translation

Saying, “O Brāhmaṇa, you will relate many kinds of discourse on dharma,” Vijayā and the other companions passed the time by recounting the deeds and sacred stories of the Goddess.

Word by Word

• नानाविधाः: various kinds of
• नानाविधाः: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नानाविध (प्रातिपदिक; नाना + विध)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifier)

• धर्मवार्ताः: talks/discourses on dharma
• धर्मवार्ताः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्मवार्ता (प्रातिपदिक; धर्म + वार्ता)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• प्रकरिष्यसि: you will compose/perform
• प्रकरिष्यसि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + कृ (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• ब्राह्मण: O brāhmaṇa
• ब्राह्मण: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उक्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• उक्त्वा: having said
• उक्त्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वच् (धातु) + क्त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• विजयाद्याः: Vijayā and the others
• विजयाद्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विजया + आदि (प्रातिपदिक; विजयादि)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; ‘आदि’समास (and others beginning with Vijayā)

• ताः: they (fem.)
• ताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• देवीचरितवर्णनैः: by narrations of the goddess’s deeds
• देवीचरितवर्णनैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी + चरित + वर्णन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) narrating; the addressed person is a Brāhmaṇa/brahmacārī within the story

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: brāhmaṇa (within the scene)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In a forest hermitage, a learned brāhmaṇa sits as Vijayā and her companions pass time by narrating the Goddess’s deeds; palm-leaf manuscripts, sacrificial implements, and calm āśrama life surround them.

Characters & Entities

• Vijayā
• Pārvatī (Devī)
• Brāhmaṇa/Brahmacārī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Remembering and narrating the Goddess’s deeds is itself dharmic conduct and a means of sanctifying time.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named; the verse highlights Devī-kathā and dharma discourse rather than sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed; devotional narration (kathā) is presented as a dharmic practice.