Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

शृण्वन्तु मुनयः सर्वे सावधानाः सशिष्यकाः । माहात्म्यं कथयिष्यामि अयोध्याया महोदयम्

Transliteration

śṛṇvantu munayaḥ sarve sāvadhānāḥ saśiṣyakāḥ | māhātmyaṃ kathayiṣyāmi ayodhyāyā mahodayam

Translation

Let all the sages, together with their disciples, listen with care. Now I shall recount the auspicious, uplifting Mahātmya—the greatness—of Ayodhyā.

Word by Word

• śṛṇvantu: let (them) hear
• śṛṇvantu: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śru (धातु; श्रु श्रवणे)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (आज्ञार्थ), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद (imperative, 3rd person plural)

• munayaḥ: sages
• munayaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (masculine, nominative plural)

• sarve: all
• sarve: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (masculine, nominative plural)

• sāvadhānāḥ: attentive
• sāvadhānāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sāvadhāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (masculine, nominative plural)

• sa-śiṣyakāḥ: together with (their) disciples
• sa-śiṣyakāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa (अव्यय/उपसर्गार्थ) + śiṣyaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सह-इत्यव्ययीभावः (masculine, nominative plural)

• māhātmyam: the glory (sacred greatness)
• māhātmyam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māhātmya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (neuter, accusative singular)

• kathayiṣyāmi: I will narrate
• kathayiṣyāmi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kath (धातु; कथ वाक्यप्रबन्धे) [णिच्]
• Form: लृट्-लकार (भविष्यत्), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; णिजन्त (future, 1st person singular, causative)

• ayodhyāyāḥ: of Ayodhyā
• ayodhyāyāḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ayodhyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (feminine, genitive singular)

• mahodayam: the great rise/prosperity (greatness)
• mahodayam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + udaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (masculine, accusative singular)

Speaker

Narrator/reciter within Ayodhyāmāhātmya (deductively: a Purāṇic narrator addressing sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ayodhyā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: munayaḥ (sages) with disciples

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An assembly of sages seated in a forest āśrama, disciples nearby, as the narrator announces the forthcoming greatness of Ayodhyā; palm-leaf manuscripts and a calm, reverent atmosphere.

Characters & Entities

• Munis
• Śiṣyas
• Ayodhyā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śravaṇa (reverent listening) to tīrtha-māhātmya in the company of sages is itself a dharmic act that uplifts the listener.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ayodhyā, introduced explicitly as the subject of the māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Attentive listening (sāvadhāna-śravaṇa) in a teacher–disciple assembly; no other rite is stated.