Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 84

Devanagari script

सत्कथाश्रवणादेव जाता ते मतिरीदृशी । इंद्रियार्थेषु वैराग्यं पश्चात्तापो महानभूत्

Transliteration

satkathāśravaṇādeva jātā te matirīdṛśī | iṃdriyārtheṣu vairāgyaṃ paścāttāpo mahānabhūt

Translation

「真実にして聖なる語りを聞いただけで、あなたにはこのような悟りが起こった。感官の対象への離欲が現れ、そして大いなる悔いが生じたのだ。」

Word by Word

• सत्कथाश्रवणात्: from hearing good stories
• सत्कथाश्रवणात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत् + कथा + श्रवण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन; ‘सत्कथायाः श्रवणम्’ (hearing of good discourse)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Avadharana (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphasis)

• जाता: arisen
• जाता: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जात (कृदन्त; √जन् धातु, क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (born/arisen)

• ते: your / for you
• ते: Sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• मतिः: understanding, intellect
• मतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ईदृशी: such (of this kind)
• ईदृशी: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ईदृश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• इन्द्रियार्थेषु: in sense-objects
• इन्द्रियार्थेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्रिय + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), बहुवचन; ‘इन्द्रियाणाम् अर्थाः’ (objects of the senses)

• वैराग्यम्: dispassion
• वैराग्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैराग्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पश्चात्तापः: repentance
• पश्चात्तापः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पश्चात्ताप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• महान्: great
• महान्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अभूत्: arose / became
• अभूत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लुङ्-लकार (Aorist), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

Speaker

Brāhmaṇa (unnamed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The listener’s face shows softened remorse and clarity; sense-objects (wine, ornaments, dice, etc.) lie discarded to one side, while the guru’s words ‘enter the heart’.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Hearing authentic sacred narratives can directly awaken discernment, detachment from sensuality, and purifying remorse.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is explicitly mentioned; the verse praises the transformative merit of sat-kathā itself.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The implied practice is sat-kathā-śravaṇa (listening to sacred discourse), presented as a powerful spiritual discipline.