Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

ऋषय ऊचुः । गायत्र्याश्च सरस्वत्या गन्धमादनपर्वते । किमर्थं संनिधानं वै सूताभूत्तद्वदस्व नः

Transliteration

ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | gāyatryāśca sarasvatyā gandhamādanaparvate | kimarthaṃ saṃnidhānaṃ vai sūtābhūttadvadasva naḥ

Translation

Les sages dirent : « Ô Sūta, pour quelle raison Gāyatrī et Sarasvatī vinrent-elles demeurer sur le mont Gandhamādana ? Dis-le-nous. »

Word by Word

• ऋषयः: the sages
• ऋषयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

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

• गायत्र्याः: of Gāyatrī
• गायत्र्याः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गायत्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय

• सरस्वत्याः: of Sarasvatī
• सरस्वत्याः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस्वती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• गन्धमादनपर्वते: on Mount Gandhamādana
• गन्धमादनपर्वते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्धमादन + पर्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयः; पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• किमर्थम्: why/for what purpose
• किमर्थम्: Sambandha (Interrogative adverb/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमासः; प्रश्नार्थक क्रियाविशेषणम् (for what reason?)

• संनिधानम्: presence/being together
• संनिधानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संनिधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/सम्भावनार्थक निपात (indeed)

• सूत: O Sūta
• सूत: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• अभूत्: happened/was
• अभूत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लुङ्-लकार (Aorist), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — 'that' (object of vadasva)

• वदस्व: tell/say
• वदस्व: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), परस्मैपद; मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन

• नः: to us
• नः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-बहुवचन-एकादेशरूपम् (enclitic) — 'of us/to us'

Speaker

Ṛṣis (Sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gandhamādana-associated Gāyatrī–Sarasvatī tīrthas (question prompt)

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sūta

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A circle of sages in an āśrama, one spokesperson rising with folded hands, addressing Sūta seated on a kusa mat; the mountain is imagined behind as a narrative backdrop.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Gāyatrī
• Sarasvatī
• Gandhamādana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma is transmitted through respectful inquiry; the sages seek the sacred origin (udbhava) behind a holy place.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gandhamādana Mountain, associated with the presence of Gāyatrī and Sarasvatī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; this is a narrative prompt initiating the explanation of the tīrtha’s origin.