Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 79

Devanagari script

शृणुष्वावहितो राजन्मदुक्तं क्रियतां त्वया । दक्षिणांबुनिधेस्तीरे गंधमादनपर्वते

Transliteration

śṛṇuṣvāvahito rājanmaduktaṃ kriyatāṃ tvayā | dakṣiṇāṃbunidhestīre gaṃdhamādanaparvate

Translation

«Écoute avec attention, ô roi, et fais selon ma parole : sur la rive de l’océan du Sud, sur le mont Gandhamādana…»

Word by Word

• शृणुष्व: listen
• शृणुष्व: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), आत्मनेपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन

• अवहितः: attentive
• अवहितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अवहित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; अव-धा धातोः क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्तः — ‘attentive/collected’

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• मत्-उक्तम्: what I have said
• मत्-उक्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + उक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; वच् धातोः क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः — ‘what is said by me’

• क्रियताम्: let it be done
• क्रियताम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘let it be done’

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana (Instrument/Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रितीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• दक्षिण: southern
• दक्षिण: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; (अम्बुनिधेः विशेषणम्)

• अम्बुनिधेः: of the ocean
• अम्बुनिधेः: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अम्बुनिधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अम्बूनि निधीयन्ते यस्मिन्)

• तीरे: on the shore
• तीरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• गन्धमादन-पर्वते: on Mount Gandhamādana
• गन्धमादन-पर्वते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्धमादन (प्रातिपदिक) + पर्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; नाम-तत्पुरुषः — ‘on Mount Gandhamādana’

Speaker

A bodiless divine voice (continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dakṣiṇāmbunidhi-tīra; Gandhamādana (Setu region)

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaṅkara (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A narrative map-like moment: the king is instructed to go to the southern ocean shore and to Gandhamādana; imagery of coastline, waves, and a sacred hill rising near the sea.

Characters & Entities

• Southern Ocean (Dakṣiṇāmbunidhi)
• Gandhamādana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purification is not abstract alone—dharma is practiced through attentive listening and obedient performance at sanctified locations.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Setu coastal sacred landscape near the southern ocean is invoked, leading toward the Rāmasetu–Rāmanātha sphere.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse introduces a location-based injunction; the specific worship acts are given in the following verses.