Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

ऋषय ऊचुः । अग्निर्तार्थमितिख्यातिः कथं तस्य मुनीश्वर

Transliteration

ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | agnirtārthamitikhyātiḥ kathaṃ tasya munīśvara

Translation

Les ṛṣis dirent : Ô seigneur parmi les munis, comment se fit-il qu’on le célèbre sous le nom d’« Agnitīrtha » ?

Word by Word

• ऋषयः: sages
• ऋषयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), बहुवचन

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्शभूत/perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• अग्निः: Agni (fire)
• अग्निः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (तीर्थम्)

• अर्थम्: meaning/purport
• अर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/इति-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरण-चिह्न/quotative particle

• ख्यातिः: fame/renown (as)
• ख्यातिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ख्याति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नवाचक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• तस्य: of it/of that
• तस्य: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मुनीश्वर: O lord of sages
• मुनीश्वर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मुनीनां ईश्वरः)

Speaker

Ṛṣayaḥ (the sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Agnitīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sūta (addressed as ‘munīśvara’ in the question-frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A forest hermitage assembly: seated sages with matted hair and deer-skins, hands in añjali, addressing the narrator; a symbolic flame motif in the background hinting at ‘Agni’ and the forthcoming tīrtha story.

Characters & Entities

• Ṛṣayaḥ
• Agnitīrtha
• Munīśvara (addressed sage, i.e., Sūta in context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇas teach sacred geography through inquiry—names of tīrthas are linked to divine events and moral meaning.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Agnitīrtha, whose naming and fame are being asked about.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; this verse initiates the etymology/origin inquiry.