Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

अत्र वक्ष्ये महापुण्यमितिहासं पुरातनम् । यं श्रुत्वा मनुजाः सर्वे प्रयांति कृतकृत्यताम्

Transliteration

atra vakṣye mahāpuṇyamitihāsaṃ purātanam | yaṃ śrutvā manujāḥ sarve prayāṃti kṛtakṛtyatām

Translation

Ici je vais raconter une antique légende sacrée, d’un grand mérite; en l’entendant, tous les hommes atteignent l’état d’avoir accompli le but de la vie.

Word by Word

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• वक्ष्ये: I shall tell
• वक्ष्ये: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), आत्मनेपद, उत्तम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• महापुण्यम्: very meritorious
• महापुण्यम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (इतिहासम् इति)

• इतिहासम्: a sacred tale/legend
• इतिहासम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इतिहास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• पुरातनम्: ancient
• पुरातनम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुरातन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (इतिहासम् इति)

• यम्: which/whom
• यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), ‘श्रुत्वा’

• मनुजाः: people/humans
• मनुजाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनुज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (मनुजाः इति)

• प्रयान्ति: attain/go to
• प्रयान्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; उपसर्गः प्र-

• कृतकृत्यताम्: the state of fulfilled duty
• कृतकृत्यताम्: Gati/Karma (Goal as object/गति-कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत + कृत्य + ता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः ‘कृतं कृत्यम् येन’ इति (बहुव्रीह्यर्थे भाववाचक-निर्माणः) प्रचलितः; भावः ‘कृतकृत्य’ + ‘ता’

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic voice; not explicit in the snippet)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Assembly of hearers (ṛṣis/munis or devotees—unspecified here)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage-narrator seated in a forest āśrama or temple hall announces an ancient itihāsa; listeners sit in attentive semicircle; manuscripts/palm leaves and a small Śiva emblem indicate the theme.

Characters & Entities

• Itihāsa (sacred legend)
• Manujāḥ (humans)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Listening to Purāṇic sacred history with faith is itself a dharmic practice that leads to inner fulfillment and spiritual completion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is named in this verse; it introduces an upcoming meritorious narrative within the pradoṣa context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śravaṇa (hearing) of the ancient, meritorious itihāsa is recommended as a spiritually efficacious act.