Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

संदेहो नात्र कर्तव्यस्त्वयाद्य मुनिसत्तम । तस्मात्तत्रैव गच्छ त्वं यदीच्छसि भवक्षयम्

Transliteration

saṃdeho nātra kartavyastvayādya munisattama | tasmāttatraiva gaccha tvaṃ yadīcchasi bhavakṣayam

Translation

«Ô le meilleur des sages, ne nourris ici aucun doute. Va donc en ce lieu même, si tu désires la fin du devenir mondain (saṃsāra).»

Word by Word

• सन्देहः: doubt
• सन्देहः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सन्देह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negative particle)

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

• कर्तव्यः: to be done / should be made
• कर्तव्यः: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कर्तव्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; कृ धातोः)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (to be done)

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Kartṛ (Agent-instrumental/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• अद्य: today/now
• अद्य: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• मुनि-सत्तम: O best of sages
• मुनि-सत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन-विभक्ति (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Apadana/Reason (Cause/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तस्मात् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक: तद्)
• Form: पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (therefore)

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

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

• गच्छ: go
• गच्छ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• यदि: if
• यदि: Condition marker (शर्त)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक-अव्यय (conditional particle)

• इच्छसि: you desire
• इच्छसि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• भव-क्षयम्: destruction of worldly existence
• भव-क्षयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भव + क्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setu mahātīrtha (near Maṅgala; at/near Gandhamādana)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Kumbhaja-anuja (Agastya’s younger brother), addressed as munisattama

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Īśvara’s hand raised in firm assurance, dispelling doubt; the rishi’s posture shifts from inquiry to determination, turning toward the path leading to the sacred waters and hill.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• the addressed sage (Agastya’s younger brother)
• Setu tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Firm faith and decisive action in dharmic guidance leads one toward freedom from saṃsāra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The same Setu mahātīrtha previously identified near Gandhamādana.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A clear injunction to go to the tīrtha (tīrtha-yātrā), preparing for the prescribed snāna and observance.