Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

पुण्ये सरस्वतीतीरे पृच्छ सारस्वतं मुनिम् । स ते सारं धर्मसाध्यं धर्मज्ञोऽभिवदिष्यति

Transliteration

puṇye sarasvatītīre pṛccha sārasvataṃ munim | sa te sāraṃ dharmasādhyaṃ dharmajño'bhivadiṣyati

Translation

「聖なるサラスヴァティーの岸辺で、サーラスヴァタという牟尼に問え。ダルマを知るその者が、汝に精髄—ダルマによって成就すべきこと—を宣言するであろう。」

Word by Word

• पुण्ये: holy, sacred (in)
• पुण्ये: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (तीरे-विशेषण)

• सरस्वती-तीरे: on the bank of the Sarasvatī
• सरस्वती-तीरे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस्वती (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सरस्वत्याः तीरम्)

• पृच्छ: ask
• पृच्छ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रच्छ्/पृच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सारस्वतम्: Sārasvata (named/related to Sarasvatī)
• सारस्वतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सारस्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (मुनिम्-विशेषण)

• मुनिम्: sage
• मुनिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; सर्वनाम; 'to you/for you'

• सारम्: essence
• सारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• धर्म-साध्यम्: to be accomplished through dharma
• धर्म-साध्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + साध्य (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त-भाव)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (धर्मेण साध्यम्/धर्मस्य साध्यम्) — 'to be accomplished by/through dharma'

• धर्म-ज्ञः: knower of dharma
• धर्म-ज्ञः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + ज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (धर्मं जानाति)

• अभिवदिष्यति: will tell, will explain
• अभिवदिष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि+वद् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future/भविष्यत्), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; उपसर्गः: अभि-

Speaker

Divyā Vāṇī (divine voice), as reported by Suśravā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sarasvatī-tīra (puṇya Sarasvatī-tīra)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Kātyāyana

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous, unseen divine voice points the seeker toward the Sarasvatī’s holy bank, where the sage Sārasvata sits in calm teaching posture beside flowing waters and reeds.

Characters & Entities

• Sarasvatī River
• Sārasvata Muni
• Kātyāyana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The essence of dharma is best learned through approaching realized teachers in sanctified places with sincere inquiry.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The puṇya Sarasvatī-tīra—holy riverbank of the Sarasvatī—is highlighted as the proper place for receiving dharma’s essence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A practical prescription is given: go to Sarasvatī’s bank and ask (pṛccha) the sage Sārasvata—i.e., pilgrimage joined with inquiry.