Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

श्रीसूत उवाच । स्थानाचाराश्च ये केचित्कुलाचारास्तथैव च । श्रीमात्रा कथितं सर्वं रामस्याग्रे पुरातनम्

Transliteration

śrīsūta uvāca | sthānācārāśca ye kecitkulācārāstathaiva ca | śrīmātrā kathitaṃ sarvaṃ rāmasyāgre purātanam

Translation

Śrī Sūta dit : «Quelles que soient les coutumes du lieu (sthānācāras) et de même les traditions de famille (kulācāras), tout cet antique enseignement fut exposé par la Mère Bienheureuse en présence de Rāma».

Word by Word

• श्रीसूतः: Śrī Sūta
• श्रीसूतः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री-सूत (प्रातिपदिक; श्री + सूत)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (श्रीमान् सूतः)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) + उपसर्गः—उ; लिट्-रूप (परस्मैपद)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• स्थानाचाराः: local customs
• स्थानाचाराः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान-आचार (प्रातिपदिक; स्थान + आचार)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (स्थानस्य आचाराः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)

• ये: which/that
• ये: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध-प्रत्यय (relative pronoun)

• केचित्: some
• केचित्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम) + चित् (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; अनिश्चितार्थक (some)

• कुलाचाराः: family customs
• कुलाचाराः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुल-आचार (प्रातिपदिक; कुल + आचार)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कुलस्य आचाराः)

• तथा: thus/likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (thus/so)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphasis)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)

• श्रीमात्रा: by Śrī-mātā (the revered mother)
• श्रीमात्रा: Karana (Agent/Instrument in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री-मातृ (प्रातिपदिक; श्री + मातृ)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (श्रीमान्/श्रीयुक्ता माता)

• कथितम्: was told/related
• कथितम्: Kriya (Predicative participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ् (धातु); कृदन्त-प्रत्ययः—क्त (कथित)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘सर्वम्’ इत्यस्य विधेय

• सर्वम्: everything
• सर्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• रामस्य: of Rāma
• रामस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• अग्रे: in front of / in the presence of
• अग्रे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; उपपद-प्रयोग (in the presence of)

• पुरातनम्: ancient/old
• पुरातनम्: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुरातन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘सर्वम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bhaṭṭārikā-kṣetra / Dharmāraṇya (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta narrates: the Blessed Mother instructs Rāma, seated in a forest-shrine or pavilion, with attendants and sages listening; gestures of teaching (vyākhyāna-mudrā), palm-leaf texts, ritual items nearby.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Śrī Mātā
• Śrī Rāma
• sthānācāra
• kulācāra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is preserved through both sacred geography (local custom) and lineage ethics (family tradition), transmitted by authoritative teaching.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya is glorified through its codified sthānācāras—place-specific dharmic practices.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is detailed in this verse; it summarizes that the full set of local and family practices was taught.