Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

तद्ब्रवीमि मुनिश्रेष्ठाः शृणुध्वं श्रद्धया सह । गच्छन्यदृच्छया वापि तीर्थयात्रापरोऽपि वा

Transliteration

tadbravīmi muniśreṣṭhāḥ śṛṇudhvaṃ śraddhayā saha | gacchanyadṛcchayā vāpi tīrthayātrāparo'pi vā

Translation

Je vous le dirai, ô meilleurs des sages ; écoutez avec foi. Qu’on voyage par hasard, ou qu’on soit voué au pèlerinage—

Word by Word

• तत्: that (matter)
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Acc., Sg.)

• ब्रवीमि: I tell; I speak
• ब्रवीमि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लट् लकार, परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन (Present Indic., 1st Sg.)

• मुनिश्रेष्ठाः: O best of sages
• मुनिश्रेष्ठाः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि+श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन प्रथमा, बहुवचन (Vocative/Nom. Pl.); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—‘मुनीनां श्रेष्ठाः’

• शृणुध्वम्: listen (you all)
• शृणुध्वम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् लकार, परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, बहुवचन (Imperative, 2nd Pl.)

• श्रद्धया: with faith
• श्रद्धया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रद्धा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Instr., Sg.)

• सह: together with
• सह: Sahartha (Accompaniment/सहार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: सहकारार्थक अव्यय/उपसर्गवत् (postposition: ‘with’)

• गच्छन्: going
• गच्छन्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Mas. Nom. Sg.)

• यदृच्छया: by chance; spontaneously
• यदृच्छया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यदृच्छा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Instr., Sg.)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक अव्यय (disjunctive particle ‘or’)

• अपि: also; even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक अव्यय (also/even)

• तीर्थयात्रापरः: devoted to tīrtha-pilgrimage
• तीर्थयात्रापरः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तीर्थ+यात्रा+पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (Mas. Nom. Sg.); तत्पुरुषः—‘तीर्थयात्रायां परः’ (devoted to pilgrimage)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक अव्यय (also/even)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक अव्यय (or)

Speaker

Sūta

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Muniśreṣṭhas (assembled sages)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta addressing sages with an open palm gesture: ‘I will tell; listen with faith’; behind them a suggestion of a road with travelers—some accidental, some purposeful—symbolizing universality.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Ṛṣis

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Faithful listening and right intention (śraddhā) are emphasized as the foundation for understanding pilgrimage dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setu’s tīrtha context continues, preparing for guidance on how to relate to tīrthas encountered on the way.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite yet; it sets the conditions—śraddhā and attentiveness—for proper tīrtha conduct.