Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

सत्रं तत्र समारभ्य सहस्राब्दमनुत्तमम् । वृत्वाऽचार्यं चांगिरसं मार्कंण्डेयं तथैव च

Transliteration

satraṃ tatra samārabhya sahasrābdamanuttamam | vṛtvā'cāryaṃ cāṃgirasaṃ mārkaṃṇḍeyaṃ tathaiva ca

Translation

Là, ils entreprirent un satra-yajña sans égal, durant mille ans, et choisirent pour maîtres le sage Āṅgirasa ainsi que Mārkaṇḍeya.

Word by Word

• सत्रम्: a sacrificial session (satra)
• सत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• समारभ्य: having begun
• समारभ्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्-आ-रभ् (धातु) → समारभ्य (कृदन्त; ल्यप्/य)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund)

• सहस्राब्दम्: for a thousand years
• सहस्राब्दम्: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Duration)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र + अब्द (प्रातिपदिके; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (सहस्रम् अब्दाः यस्य/परिमाणम्) = thousand years (duration)

• अनुत्तमम्: unsurpassed
• अनुत्तमम्: Visheshana (Adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘सत्रम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• वृत्वा: having chosen
• वृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वृ (धातु; ‘वृणोति’ = choose) → वृत्वा (कृदन्त; त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वा/त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund)

• आचार्यम्: a teacher/priest
• आचार्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आचार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• आंगिरसम्: Āṅgirasa (of the lineage of Aṅgiras)
• आंगिरसम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आङ्गिरस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• मार्कण्डेयम्: Mārkaṇḍeya
• मार्कण्डेयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha/Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: likewise)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha/Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (emphatic/restrictive)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Implied audience; within story: description of devas’ actions

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In the heart of Dharmāraṇya, a grand yajña pavilion with a blazing altar; devas participate while sages Āṅgirasa and Mārkaṇḍeya preside as ācāryas; the scene conveys time’s vastness (a thousand-year rite).

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Dharmāraṇya
• Āṅgirasa
• Mārkaṇḍeya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sustained worship (satra) guided by realized teachers is portrayed as the highest form of collective dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya, chosen as the venue for a thousand-year satra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performance of a satra-yajña (long sacrificial session) under appointed ācāryas.