Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 94
Devanagari script
सर्वेषां श्रेयसां बीजं सत्कथाश्रवणं नृणाम् । यस्तद्विहीनः स पशुः कथं मुच्येत बन्धनात्
Transliteration
sarveṣāṃ śreyasāṃ bījaṃ satkathāśravaṇaṃ nṛṇām | yastadvihīnaḥ sa paśuḥ kathaṃ mucyeta bandhanāt
Translation
ಮನುಷ್ಯರಿಗೆ ಎಲ್ಲ ಶ್ರೇಯಸ್ಸಿನ ಬೀಜ ಸತ್ಕಥಾಶ್ರವಣವೇ. ಅದರಿಂದ ವಂಚಿತನು ಪಶುವಿನಂತೆ; ಅವನು ಬಂಧನದಿಂದ ಹೇಗೆ ಮುಕ್ತನಾಗುವನು?
Word by Word
सर्वेषाम्of all
सर्वेषाम्:
Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
TypeAdjective
Rootsarva (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी, बहुवचन (genitive plural)
श्रेयसाम्of auspicious goods/benefits
श्रेयसाम्:
Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootśreyas (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन (neuter genitive plural)
बीजम्seed/source
बीजम्:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootbīja (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (neuter nominative singular)
सत्कथाholy discourse
सत्कथा:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootsat + kathā (प्रातिपदिक; घटक: सत् + कथा)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (fem nom/acc sg; in compound)
श्रवणम्hearing
श्रवणम्:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootśravaṇa (प्रातिपदिक; √śru/श्रु + ल्युट्)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (neuter nominative singular; action noun)
नृणाम्of men/people
नृणाम्:
Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootnṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन (masculine genitive plural)
यःwho
यः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootyad (प्रातिपदिक; सर्वनाम)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (masc nominative singular; relative pronoun)
तत्that (hearing)
तत्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Roottad (प्रातिपदिक; सर्वनाम)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter accusative singular; ‘that’)
विहीनःdevoid (of)
विहीनः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootvihīna (प्रातिपदिक; vi-√hā/हा + क्त)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (masc nom sg; ‘deprived’)
सःhe
सः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Roottad (प्रातिपदिक; सर्वनाम)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (masc nominative singular)
पशुःbeast
पशुः:
Pratijna (Predicate nominal/प्रत्यय)
TypeNoun
Rootpaśu (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (masc nominative singular)
कथम्how
कथम्:
Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootkatham (अव्यय)
Formप्रश्नाव्यय (interrogative adverb)
मुच्येतcould be freed
मुच्येत:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√muc (धातु)
Formविधिलिङ् (optative), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (optative, 3rd sg; passive sense ‘be released’)
बन्धनात्from bondage
बन्धनात्:
Apadana (Source/अपादान)
TypeNoun
Rootbandhana (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन (neuter ablative singular)
Speaker
Unspecified (didactic narrator/teacher within Brahmottarakhaṇḍa)
FAQs
Regularly hearing sacred teachings is foundational for spiritual uplift and freedom from bondage.
No particular sacred place is identified; the verse teaches a universal dharma of śravaṇa (devotional listening).
Satkathā-śravaṇa—devout listening to holy narratives and teachings.