Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

अतः सर्वपुराणानामर्थज्ञोऽसि महामुने । कानि क्षेत्राणि पुण्यानि कानि तीर्थानि भूतले

Transliteration

ataḥ sarvapurāṇānāmarthajño'si mahāmune | kāni kṣetrāṇi puṇyāni kāni tīrthāni bhūtale

Translation

Ainsi, ô grand sage, tu connais le sens de tous les Purāṇa. Quels kṣetra sacrés sont méritoires, et quels tīrtha se trouvent sur la terre ?

Word by Word

• अतः: therefore
• अतः: Sambandha (Logical connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, हेत्वर्थक-निपातः/क्रियाविशेषणम् — Indeclinable, causal particle/adverb ‘therefore’

• सर्वपुराणानाम्: of all the Purāṇas
• सर्वपुराणानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + purāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन — Neuter, Genitive, Plural; समासः (कर्मधारय) ‘सर्वाणि पुराणानि’

• अर्थज्ञः: knower of the meaning
• अर्थज्ञः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: artha (प्रातिपदिक) + jña (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular; समासः (तत्पुरुष) ‘अर्थं जानाति’

• असि: you are
• असि: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन — Present indicative, 2nd person, Singular

• महामुने: O great sage
• महामुने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन — Masculine, Vocative, Singular; समासः (कर्मधारय) ‘महान् मुनिः’

• कानि: which?
• कानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन — Interrogative pronoun, Neuter, Nominative, Plural

• क्षेत्राणि: holy places/fields
• क्षेत्राणि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣetra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन — Neuter, Nominative, Plural

• पुण्यानि: meritorious, sacred
• पुण्यानि: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: puṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन — Neuter, Nominative, Plural; विशेषणम् (क्षेत्राणि)

• कानि: which?
• कानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन — Interrogative pronoun, Neuter, Nominative, Plural

• तीर्थानि: pilgrimage fords/shrines
• तीर्थानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन — Neuter, Nominative, Plural

• भूतले: on the earth
• भूतले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūtala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन — Neuter, Locative, Singular

Speaker

Sages of Naimiṣāraṇya (questioning Sūta)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sūta

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sages in Naimiṣa lean forward in inquiry, gesturing toward an imagined map of Bhārata’s sacred sites; Sūta sits poised to enumerate kṣetras and tīrthas.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Purāṇas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇas frame spirituality through sacred geography—knowing kṣetras and tīrthas guides a life toward merit and liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None is named yet; the sages are requesting an authoritative mapping of holy places, leading into Rāmasetu/Rāmeśvara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse introduces the topic of tīrtha-oriented dharma.