Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 168

Devanagari script

सरितः केचिदाहुः स्म सप्तैव ज्ञानवित्तमाः । अनपेतव्रतकामोऽत्र ब्रह्मचर्यं चरामि च

Transliteration

saritaḥ kecidāhuḥ sma saptaiva jñānavittamāḥ | anapetavratakāmo'tra brahmacaryaṃ carāmi ca

Translation

Certains—éminents en connaissance et en discernement—disent que ce sont bien sept rivières. Ici, désirant le vœu sans défaillance, je pratique aussi le brahmacarya.

Word by Word

• saritaḥ: rivers
• saritaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarit (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• kecit: some
• kecit: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक

• āhuḥ: have said / say
• āhuḥ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ah (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• sma: indeed/once (past marker)
• sma: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sma (अव्यय)
• Form: स्म-प्रयोगः (particle indicating past/recollection)

• sapta: seven
• sapta: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sapta (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्दः; (here) प्रथमा/द्वितीया बहुवचनार्थे ‘seven’

• eva: only/indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• jñāna-vittamāḥ: the best among the wise
• jñāna-vittamāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jñāna + vittama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘ज्ञानस्य वित्तमाः’ = ज्ञानिनां श्रेष्ठाः (superlative sense)

• anapeta-vrata-kāmaḥ: desiring (to remain) unfallen from the vow
• anapeta-vrata-kāmaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anapeta + vrata + kāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘व्रतात् अनपेतः’ (not deviated from vow) + ‘कामी’ (desirous)

• atra: here
• atra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• brahmacaryam: celibate discipline (brahmacarya)
• brahmacaryam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahmacarya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• carāmi: I practice
• carāmi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: car (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvara-khaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sapta-sarit-tīrtha (as described)

Type: sangam

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A contemplative ascetic at a seven-stream confluence or seven-channel river-scape, hands in añjali, taking a vow; behind him, learned sages gesture as they enumerate the seven rivers.

Characters & Entities

• Sapta Nadī (seven rivers)
• Brahmacarya (vow)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True tīrtha merit is joined to steadfast vow-observance; brahmacarya is presented as intentional, unwavering discipline.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A context involving ‘seven rivers’; the verse does not supply a specific geographic name.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Observance of brahmacarya as a vrata, explicitly described as not deviating from the vow.