Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 90

Devanagari script

महती रामनाथस्य सेवा लभ्येत चेन्नृणाम् । किं गंगया च गयया प्रयागेणाध्वरेण वा

Transliteration

mahatī rāmanāthasya sevā labhyeta cennṛṇām | kiṃ gaṃgayā ca gayayā prayāgeṇādhvareṇa vā

Translation

Si les hommes peuvent obtenir le grand service de Rāmanātha, à quoi bon alors le Gaṅgā, Gayā, Prayāga, ou même les rites sacrificiels ?

Word by Word

• महती: great
• महती: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• रामनाथस्य: of Rāmanātha
• रामनाथस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम-नाथ (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन

• सेवा: service
• सेवा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सेवा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन

• लभ्येत: may be obtained
• लभ्येत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive sense: ‘may be obtained’)

• चेत्: if
• चेत्: Avyaya (Particle/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चेत् (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक-अव्यय (conditional particle: if)

• नृणाम्: of men
• नृणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), बहुवचन

• किम्: what (need)?
• किम्: Avyaya (Interrogative/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative particle; here rhetorical)

• गंगया: by/with the Gaṅgā
• गंगया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात

• गयया: by/with Gayā
• गयया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन

• प्रयागेण: by/with Prayāga
• प्रयागेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन

• अध्वरेण: by a sacrifice (yajña)
• अध्वरेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अध्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन; ‘यज्ञ’ अर्थे

• वा: or
• वा: Samuccaya (Alternative/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपात (or)

Speaker

Narratorial voice within Setu-khaṇḍa (speaker not explicit in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Rāmanātha at Rāmasetu

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (nṛṇām addressed generally; context continues)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A visionary tableau: Gaṅgā, Gayā, Prayāga, and a blazing yajña-fire appear as personified powers bowing toward Rāmanātha, indicating that his sevā encompasses their fruits.

Characters & Entities

• Rāmanātha (Rāmeśvara)
• Gaṅgā
• Gayā
• Prayāga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇa elevates direct devotion and service at a supremely holy kṣetra as surpassing even famed tīrthas and elaborate ritual.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Rāmanātha’s kṣetra at Rāmasetu (Rāmeśvaram), presented as exceptionally efficacious.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Sevā is recommended implicitly; sacrificial rites (adhvara) are mentioned only to say they become unnecessary by comparison.