Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 73

Devanagari script

श्रुत्वा तच्च यथातत्त्वमिदं वचनमब्रवीत् । दक्षिणे सागरेऽनूपे पंच तीर्थानि संतिवै

Transliteration

śrutvā tacca yathātattvamidaṃ vacanamabravīt | dakṣiṇe sāgare'nūpe paṃca tīrthāni saṃtivai

Translation

L’ayant entendu tel qu’il était en vérité, il prononça ces paroles : «Sur le rivage de la mer du Sud, en une agréable contrée côtière, se trouvent assurément cinq tīrthas, lieux saints.»

Word by Word

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √श्रु (धातु) + क्त्वा (Kṛdanta)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• यथातत्त्वम्: according to the truth/as it really is
• यथातत्त्वम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + तत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• वचनम्: speech/statement
• वचनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अब्रवीत्: said/spoke
• अब्रवीत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• दक्षिणे: in the southern (region)
• दक्षिणे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (context: direction), सप्तमी (7th case, locative), एकवचन; दिक्शब्द-प्रयोग

• सागरे: in the ocean/sea
• सागरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सागर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• अनूपे: in the marshy riverside/lowland
• अनूपे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• पञ्च: five
• पञ्च: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च (संख्या-शब्द)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्या; विशेषण (numeral)

• तीर्थानि: holy fords/pilgrimage places
• तीर्थानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• सन्ति: are
• सन्ति: Kriya (Existence/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• वै: indeed
• वै: Discourse-emphasis
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक/उपपादक (emphatic particle)

Speaker

Nārada

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pañca-tīrtha (unnamed here) on the southern seacoast

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: The distressed group; framed by address to Pārtha in surrounding narration

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nārada gestures southward as if indicating a map; behind him, an imagined coastline with palms, dunes, and a shimmering sea, hinting at five sacred spots along the shore.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Pañca Tīrthāni (five sacred sites)
• Dakṣiṇa Sāgara (southern sea)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Suffering is met with a dharmic remedy: turning toward tīrthas, where merit and divine grace are accessible.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A set of “five tīrthas” located on the southern seacoast is introduced (names not given in this verse).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An implied prescription: to go to tīrthas as a means of purification and relief, elaborated in subsequent verses.