Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

श्रुतिस्मृतिपुराणानि विदुषां लोचनत्रयम् । यस्त्रिभिर्नयनैः पश्येत्सोऽंशो माहेश्वरो मतः

Transliteration

śrutismṛtipurāṇāni viduṣāṃ locanatrayam | yastribhirnayanaiḥ paśyetso'ṃśo māheśvaro mataḥ

Translation

Śruti, Smṛti et les Purāṇa sont les trois yeux des sages. Celui qui voit par ces trois yeux est tenu pour une parcelle de Maheśvara (Śiva).

Word by Word

• śruti-smṛti-purāṇāni: Śruti, Smṛti, and Purāṇas
• śruti-smṛti-purāṇāni: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śruti (श्रुति) + smṛti (स्मृति) + purāṇa (पुराण) (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समासः (समाहार); नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• viduṣām: of the learned
• viduṣām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vidvas (विद्वस्, प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• locana-trayam: a triad of eyes
• locana-trayam: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: locana (लोचन) + traya (त्रय, संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समासः; नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• tribhiḥ: with three
• tribhiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tri (त्रि, संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम् (instrumental plural: by/with three)

• nayanaiḥ: eyes
• nayanaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nayana (नयन, प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• paśyet: should see
• paśyet: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √paś (पश्)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• aṃśaḥ: a portion
• aṃśaḥ: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṃśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• māheśvaraḥ: of Maheśvara, Śaiva
• māheśvaraḥ: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: māheśvara (प्रातिपदिक; maheśvara-सम्बन्धी)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• mataḥ: is considered
• mataḥ: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √man (मन्) → mata (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त-भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः; पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; भावे/कर्मणि (is considered)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā Khaṇḍa (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A visionary tableau: Śiva with three eyes appears behind/above a sage; three luminous streams labeled Śruti, Smṛti, Purāṇa enter the sage’s forehead as ‘three eyes,’ signifying Śiva-like perception.

Characters & Entities

• Śruti
• Smṛti
• Purāṇa
• Maheśvara (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Integrated scriptural vision—Śruti, Smṛti, and Purāṇa together—leads to Śiva-like discernment and a dharmic understanding of sacred places and practices.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is named; the verse legitimizes Purāṇic tīrtha teachings as part of a complete scriptural ‘vision’.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it promotes an epistemic discipline: to interpret dharma through all three authorities.