Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

ग्रामेग्रामे नदीकूले पुण्येष्वायतनेषु च । रुद्रजाप्ये तु पर्याप्ते कथं लोके चरेमहि

Transliteration

grāmegrāme nadīkūle puṇyeṣvāyataneṣu ca | rudrajāpye tu paryāpte kathaṃ loke caremahi

Translation

ಗ್ರಾಮಗ್ರಾಮದಲ್ಲೂ, ನದೀತೀರಗಳಲ್ಲೂ, ಪುಣ್ಯಕ್ಷೇತ್ರಗಳಲ್ಲೂ ರುದ್ರಜಪ ವ್ಯಾಪಕವಾದಾಗ, ನಾವು ಲೋಕದಲ್ಲಿ ಹೇಗೆ ಸಂಚರಿಸೋಣ?

Word by Word

• ग्रामे: in a village
• ग्रामे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• ग्रामे: in (each) village
• ग्रामे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (distributive: village after village)

• नदी-कूले: on the riverbank
• नदी-कूले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नदी (प्रातिपदिक) + कूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; समासः—नदीकूले = नद्याः कूले (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• पुण्येषु: in holy (places)
• पुण्येषु: Adhikarana (Qualifier of location)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), बहुवचन; ‘आयतनेषु’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• आयतनेषु: in shrines/abodes
• आयतनेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयतन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• रुद्र-जाप्ये: in the Rudra-japa (recitation)
• रुद्र-जाप्ये: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + जाप्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; समासः—रुद्रजाप्ये = रुद्रस्य जाप्ये (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• तु: but; indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक-अव्ययम् (particle: but/indeed)

• पर्याप्ते: when (it is) widespread/abundant
• पर्याप्ते: Adhikarana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर्याप्त (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-आधारित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; ‘रुद्रजाप्ये’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम् (when it is prevalent/abundant)

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Sambandha (Question)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्ययम् (interrogative adverb)

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• चरेमहि: shall we move/wander
• चरेमहि: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्त्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Pātakanāyakāḥ (speaking to Yama)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nadī-kūla tīrthas and puṇyāyatanas (generic)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sweeping montage: villagers chanting, ascetics on riverbanks repeating Rudra-mantra, and pilgrims in sanctuaries; shadowy sin-figures find no place to stand.

Characters & Entities

• Rudra-jāpya (Rudra japa)
• Nadī (rivers)
• Puṇyāyatana (holy shrines)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When a society embraces sacred recitation, sin loses its foothold; devotion reshapes the moral landscape.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not one named site, but a broad tīrtha-network: riverbanks and holy shrines everywhere are implied as empowered by Rudra-japa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Rudra-jāpya (Rudra-japa/recitation), recommended as a pervasive practice in sacred and everyday spaces.