Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

श्रीसूत उवाच । अथातः संप्रवक्ष्यामि गायत्रीं च सरस्वतीम् । लक्ष्यीकृत्य कथामेकां पवित्रां द्विजसत्तमाः

Transliteration

śrīsūta uvāca | athātaḥ saṃpravakṣyāmi gāyatrīṃ ca sarasvatīm | lakṣyīkṛtya kathāmekāṃ pavitrāṃ dvijasattamāḥ

Translation

Śrī Sūta dit : À présent, je vais exposer comme il se doit (la grandeur de) Gāyatrī et de Sarasvatī, ô meilleurs des deux-fois-nés, en me concentrant sur un unique récit sacré.

Word by Word

• श्रीसूतः: Sūta, the venerable narrator
• श्रीसूतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री-सूत (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (श्रीमान् सूतः)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदम्

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भसूचक (then/now)

• अतः: thereafter/therefore
• अतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थ/तस्मात्-अर्थ (therefore/from this)

• संप्रवक्ष्यामि: I shall fully narrate
• संप्रवक्ष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) + सम्-प्र (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदम्; उपसर्गयुक्त

• गायत्रीम्: Gāyatrī
• गायत्रीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गायत्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction)

• सरस्वतीम्: Sarasvatī
• सरस्वतीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस्वती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• लक्ष्यीकृत्य: having focused (on)
• लक्ष्यीकृत्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: लक्ष्यी-कृ (धातु; कृ + णिच्/भाव)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्यय; ‘लक्ष्यं कृत्वा’ (having made as the focus)

• कथाम्: a story
• कथाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• एकाम्: one
• एकाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (कथाम्)

• पवित्राम्: holy, purifying
• पवित्राम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पवित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (कथाम्)

• द्विजसत्तमाः: O best of the twice-born
• द्विजसत्तमाः: Sambodhana/Address (Vocative sense/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज-सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (द्विजानां सत्तमाः)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa/Sūta)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gāyatrī-tīrtha and Sarasvatī-tīrtha (tīrthadvaya)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvijasattamāḥ / Ṛṣayaḥ (assembled sages)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta seated in a sacred assembly, beginning the proclamation of Gāyatrī and Sarasvatī’s greatness; sages attentive, palm-leaf manuscripts and ritual vessels nearby; subtle presence of Devī as radiance and river-flow motif.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Gāyatrī
• Sarasvatī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Approaching sacred tradition through focused listening to a purifying narrative is itself a dharmic means to inner purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse introduces a narrative within Setukhaṇḍa (the Setu/Rāmeśvara sacred geography), though this line itself names deities rather than a site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed here; it frames the merit of śravaṇa (hearing) of a sacred account.