Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

संवर्तं परिपृच्छध्वं स वो वक्ष्यति तत्त्वतः । सर्वतीर्थफलावाप्तिकारकं भूप्रदेशकम्

Transliteration

saṃvartaṃ paripṛcchadhvaṃ sa vo vakṣyati tattvataḥ | sarvatīrthaphalāvāptikārakaṃ bhūpradeśakam

Translation

«Allez interroger Saṃvarta ; il vous dira la vérité solidement établie, révélant ce territoire par lequel on obtient le fruit de tous les tīrthas.»

Word by Word

• संवर्तम्: Saṃvarta (the sage)
• संवर्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संवर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; व्यक्तिनाम (proper name)

• परिपृच्छध्वम्: ask (him) thoroughly
• परिपृच्छध्वम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि + प्रच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nom.), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• वः: to you
• वः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-रूप (Gen./Dat.), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम; अत्र दत्तिवाचकः (to you)

• वक्ष्यति: will tell
• वक्ष्यति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• तत्त्वतः: truly; in essence
• तत्त्वतः: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्त्वतस् (अव्यय/तद्धितान्त)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable adverb), अर्थः—यथार्थतः (in truth)

• सर्वतीर्थफलावाप्तिकारकम्: that which brings about attainment of the fruit of all pilgrimages
• सर्वतीर्थफलावाप्तिकारकम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + तीर्थ + फल + अवाप्ति + कारक (प्रातिपदिक-समाहार)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Acc.), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (that which causes attainment of the fruit of all tīrthas)

• भूप्रदेशकम्: a tract of land; a region
• भूप्रदेशकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू + प्रदेशक (प्रातिपदिक-समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Acc.), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (earth-region/place)

Speaker

Narrator (guiding sage)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: (To be revealed by Saṃvarta) ‘sarvatīrtha-phala’ bhūpradeśa

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: The inquirers/seekers

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The sage points the seekers onward, indicating ‘Saṃvarta’; in the background, a distant hermitage glows, suggesting the yogin’s presence as a living tīrtha; a scroll/map unfurls showing a ‘bhūpradeśa’.

Characters & Entities

• Saṃvarta
• Tīrtha (concept)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Authentic spiritual knowledge is transmitted through realized teachers; inquiry (paripraśna) is itself a dharmic method.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A special bhūpradeśa is promised as equal to all tīrthas; the next verses connect Saṃvarta with Vārāṇasī (Kāśī).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The prescription is to approach and question Saṃvarta for correct guidance.