Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

सुपण्यमुख्याः सप्तैव पितृवाक्यमशृण्वत । पशुमान्वक्ति यत्कार्यं तत्क्ष णान्निरवर्तयन्

Transliteration

supaṇyamukhyāḥ saptaiva pitṛvākyamaśṛṇvata | paśumānvakti yatkāryaṃ tatkṣa ṇānniravartayan

Translation

Sept d’entre eux—les premiers parmi les bien élevés—écoutaient la parole de leur père. Toute tâche que Paśumān leur prescrivait, ils l’accomplissaient sur-le-champ.

Word by Word

• सुपण्यमुख्याः: the seven headed by Supaṇya
• सुपण्यमुख्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुपण्य (प्रातिपदिक) + मुख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (सुपण्याः ये मुख्याः)

• सप्त: seven
• सप्त: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्या; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचनार्थे (with ‘मुख्याः’)

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

• पितृवाक्यम्: father's instruction/word
• पितृवाक्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक) + वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पितुः वाक्यम्)

• अशृण्वत: they heard
• अशृण्वत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतन-भूत), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; नकार-रहित रूप ‘अशृण्वत’ = ‘they heard’

• पशुमान्: Paśumān (the cattle-owner)
• पशुमान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पशु (प्रातिपदिक) + मतुप् (तद्धित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; वक्ता (speaker)

• वक्ति: says
• वक्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• यत्: whatever
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-प्रयोगः (relative)

• कार्यम्: task to be done
• कार्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तद्-सम्बन्धः (correlative)

• क्षणात्: immediately
• क्षणात्: Adverbial (काल/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय-प्रयोगः; तसिल्-अर्थे पञ्चमी: ‘क्षणात्’ = तत्क्षणम्

• निरवर्तयन्: they carried out, completed
• निरवर्तयन्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निर्-वृत्/वर्त् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतन-भूत), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; causative sense ‘to carry out/complete’ (निरवर्तयन् = they accomplished)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual, likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa in Brāhma Khaṇḍa narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setu (Setubandha/Rāma-setu)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Seven well-behaved sons stand ready, receiving instructions; they immediately set to work—one with ledger, one with tools, others moving in coordinated action—father at center speaking.

Characters & Entities

• Paśumān

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Respect for parental instruction and prompt performance of duty are praised as marks of dhārmic character.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is directly praised in this verse; it serves the ethical narrative within Setukhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse highlights discipline and immediate compliance with dharmic instruction.