Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

श्रीसूत उवाच । इतिहासं पुनर्वक्ष्ये धनुष्कोटिप्रशंसनम् । सृगालस्य च संवादं वानरस्य च सत्तमाः

Transliteration

śrīsūta uvāca | itihāsaṃ punarvakṣye dhanuṣkoṭipraśaṃsanam | sṛgālasya ca saṃvādaṃ vānarasya ca sattamāḥ

Translation

Śrī Sūta dit : Ô les meilleurs parmi les vertueux, je redirai un récit ancien faisant l’éloge de Dhanuskoṭi, ainsi que le dialogue d’un chacal et d’un singe.

Word by Word

• श्रीसूतः: the venerable Sūta
• श्रीसूतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रीसूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—श्री + सूत (कर्मधारयः)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• इतिहासम्: a legend/history
• इतिहासम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इतिहास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• वक्ष्ये: I shall tell
• वक्ष्ये: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• धनुष्कोटिप्रशंसनम्: the praise of Dhanuṣkoṭi
• धनुष्कोटिप्रशंसनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुष्कोटि + प्रशंसन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—धनुष्कोटेः प्रशंसनम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)

• सृगालस्य: of the jackal
• सृगालस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सृगाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• संवादम्: conversation/dialogue
• संवादम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संवाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• वानरस्य: of the monkey
• वानरस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वानर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• सत्तमाः: O best ones
• सत्तमाः: Sambodhana/Addressed (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; (सम्बोधनार्थे प्रथमा-प्रयोगः)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa/Sūta narrator)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dhanuskoṭi

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis / ‘sattamāḥ’ (best among the worthy)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta, seated in a forest-assembly of sages, announces he will recount an ancient tale praising Dhanuskoṭi, featuring a jackal and a monkey; palm-leaf manuscripts and ritual fires frame the scene.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Dhanuskoṭi
• Sṛgāla (jackal)
• Vānara (monkey)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic itihāsa communicates tīrtha-mahātmyas through memorable stories and dialogues that guide pilgrims in dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dhanuskoṭi, introduced explicitly as the subject of praise.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it serves as a narrative introduction to the forthcoming mahātmya.