Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

पुरा हि गालवोनाम महर्षिः सत्यवाक्छुचिः । चिंतयानः परं ब्रह्म तपस्तेपे निजाश्रमे

Transliteration

purā hi gālavonāma maharṣiḥ satyavākchuciḥ | ciṃtayānaḥ paraṃ brahma tapastepe nijāśrame

Translation

Dans les temps anciens vivait un grand rishi nommé Gālava, véridique et pur. Méditant sur le Brahman suprême, il accomplit des austérités (tapas) dans son propre āśrama.

Word by Word

• पुरा: formerly, once
• पुरा: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb: formerly/once)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; emphasis/indeed)

• गालवः: Gālava
• गालवः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गालव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• नाम: by name
• नाम: Viśeṣaṇa (Naming particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात/अव्यय (quotative: ‘by name’)

• महर्षिः: great sage
• महर्षिः: Karta (Apposition to subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महर्षि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• सत्यवाक्: truth-speaking
• सत्यवाक्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of गालवः/महर्षिः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्य-वाच् (प्रातिपदिक; सत्य + वाच्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (one whose speech is true)

• शुचिः: pure
• शुचिः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of गालवः/महर्षिः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (pure)

• चिन्तयानः: contemplating
• चिन्तयानः: Karta (Participial—subject qualifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चिन्तय् (धातु) + शानच् (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शानच्), परस्मैपदी-धातु; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘चिन्तयन्’ (while contemplating)

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Karma (Object of contemplating)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (of ब्रह्म)

• ब्रह्म: Brahman, the Absolute
• ब्रह्म: Karma (Object of contemplating)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तपः: austerity, penance
• तपः: Karma (Object of ‘did’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तेपे: performed (penance)
• तेपे: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• निजाश्रमे: in his own hermitage
• निजाश्रमे: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निज-आश्रम (प्रातिपदिक; निज + आश्रम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setu-kṣetra (contextual frame)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene forest hermitage: sage Gālava seated in meditation near a simple altar, kusa grass, water-pot, and deer-skin; soft light filtering through trees, suggesting brahma-dhyāna and austerity.

Characters & Entities

• Gālava

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Truthfulness, purity, and disciplined tapas are shown as the foundation from which tīrtha-māhātmya events unfold.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse begins the backstory that will culminate in the glorification of a Setu-region tīrtha (Vētālavarada).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas (austerity) and contemplation of Brahman are described as the sage’s practice.