Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

सत्यलोके स्थितं पूर्वं ब्रह्माणं कमलासनम् । सनकः परिपप्रच्छ प्रणतः प्रांजलिः स्थितः

Transliteration

satyaloke sthitaṃ pūrvaṃ brahmāṇaṃ kamalāsanam | sanakaḥ paripapraccha praṇataḥ prāṃjaliḥ sthitaḥ

Translation

Autrefois, en Satyaloka, Sanaka — prosterné avec respect et debout les mains jointes — interrogea Brahmā, le Seigneur assis sur le lotus.

Word by Word

• satyaloke: in Satyaloka
• satyaloke: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: satya (प्रातिपदिक) + loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• sthitam: situated
• sthitam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sthā (धातु) + kta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘situated/standing’ (brahmāṇam qualifies)

• pūrvam: formerly
• pūrvam: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pūrva (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb)

• brahmāṇam: Brahmā
• brahmāṇam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• kamalāsanam: lotus-seated
• kamalāsanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kamala (प्रातिपदिक) + āsana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कमले आसनं यस्य/कमल-आसनः); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (brahmāṇam qualifies)

• sanakaḥ: Sanaka
• sanakaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sanaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• paripapraccha: asked repeatedly/in detail
• paripapraccha: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prach (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्ष/परिपूर्ण भूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; उपसर्ग: परि-

• praṇataḥ: bowed
• praṇataḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nam (धातु) + kta (कृत्) with pra-
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; उपसर्ग: प्र-; ‘bowed down’

• prāṃjaliḥ: with folded hands
• prāṃjaliḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pra + añjali (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘with joined palms’

• sthitaḥ: standing
• sthitaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sthā (धातु) + kta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘standing’

Speaker

Narrator (contextual: Lomaharṣaṇa/Sūta addressing sages in Māheśvarakhaṇḍa framing)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Aruṇācala (contextual subject)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Munis (sages)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Satyaloka: Brahmā seated on a radiant lotus-throne; Sanaka stands before him with folded hands, head bowed; celestial calm and luminous space.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Sanaka
• Satyaloka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverent inquiry (praṇāma and prāñjali-bhāva) is presented as the proper gateway to receiving Purāṇic sacred knowledge.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse sets the narrative frame for the Aruṇācalamāhātmya; the specific glorified site is Aruṇācala (Tiruvaṇṇāmalai region) introduced through Brahmā–Sanaka dialogue.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite (snāna, dāna, japa, vrata) is stated here; the emphasis is on devotional posture and respectful questioning before teaching begins.