Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 73

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मणा सनकादिभ्यो मुनिभ्यः कथितं पुरा । सर्वतीर्थाश्रये पुण्ये दक्षिणस्यो दधेस्तटे

Transliteration

brahmaṇā sanakādibhyo munibhyaḥ kathitaṃ purā | sarvatīrthāśraye puṇye dakṣiṇasyo dadhestaṭe

Translation

«Autrefois, Brahmā l’enseigna à des sages tels que Sanaka : sur la rive méridionale de l’océan se trouve un lieu sacré, refuge de tous les tīrthas, d’un mérite souverain.»

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मणा: by Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणा: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• सनक-आदिभ्यः: to Sanaka and others
• सनक-आदिभ्यः: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सनक (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सनकः आदिः येषां ते)

• मुनिभ्यः: to the sages
• मुनिभ्यः: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, बहुवचन

• कथितम्: was told
• कथितम्: Kriya (क्रिया/भाव)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), भूतकाले

• सर्व-तीर्थ-आश्रये: in/at the refuge of all sacred fords
• सर्व-तीर्थ-आश्रये: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + आश्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक-प्रयोगे सप्तमी, एकवचन; विशेषणम्; तत्पुरुषः (सर्वेषां तीर्थानाम् आश्रयः)

• पुण्ये: holy/meritorious
• पुण्ये: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक-प्रयोगे सप्तमी, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (आश्रय-विशेषण)

• दक्षिणस्य: of the southern
• दक्षिणस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (दधेः-विशेषण)

• उदधेः: of the ocean
• उदधेः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उदधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• तटे: on the shore
• तटे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

Speaker

Vidyādhara-kulādhipa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sarvatīrthāśraya on Dakṣiṇa-samudra-taṭa (Setu-kṣetra implied)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A visionary map-like revelation: the teacher points toward the southern ocean where a radiant tīrtha shines on the shore, symbolically drawing in streams from all other tīrthas; sages like Sanaka appear in a flashback receiving Brahmā’s teaching.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Sanaka (Sanakādi sages)
• Southern ocean (udadhi)
• Sarvatīrthāśraya (epithet of the place)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrthas are presented as concentrated fields of merit, preserved through divine-sage transmission (Brahmā to Sanakādi).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A “refuge of all tīrthas” on the southern ocean shore, within the Setu-kṣetra region; its proximity is clarified next near Cakratīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, going to that holy shore; the explicit act (darśana/snāna) is stated in later verses.