Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

शृण्वतां शूलिनो गाथां तथा कीर्तयतां सताम् । तेषां पादरजांस्येव तीर्थानि मुनयो जगुः

Transliteration

śṛṇvatāṃ śūlino gāthāṃ tathā kīrtayatāṃ satām | teṣāṃ pādarajāṃsyeva tīrthāni munayo jaguḥ

Translation

ത്രിശൂലധാരിയായ ശിവന്റെ ഗാഥ ശ്രവിക്കുകയും സജ്ജന്മാർ അതിനെ കീർത്തിക്കുകയും ചെയ്യുന്നവരുടെ പാദധൂളിപോലും തീർത്ഥമാണെന്ന് മുനികൾ പ്രസ്താവിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• शृण्वताम्: of (those) listening
• शृण्वताम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रु (धातु) → शृण्वत् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle)

• शूलिनः: of Śūlin (Śiva)
• शूलिनः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूलिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• गाथाम्: song, narrative
• गाथाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गाथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• तथा: and likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः—समुच्चय/उपपद (adverb/conjunctive particle)

• कीर्तयताम्: of (those) praising/reciting
• कीर्तयताम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कीर्तय् (धातु, णिच्) → कीर्तयत् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle)

• सताम्: of the good/virtuous
• सताम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-भाव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• पादरजांसि: the dust of (their) feet
• पादरजांसि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद + रजस् (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पादस्य रजः)

• इव: like, as it were
• इव: Sambandha (Comparison/उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमा-वाचक (comparative particle)

• तीर्थानि: holy places
• तीर्थानि: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• मुनयः: sages
• मुनयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• जगुः: said/sang
• जगुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गै (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Narrator/Teacher within Brahmottara Khaṇḍa (contextual; not explicit in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pāda-rajas of Śiva-bhaktas (portable tīrtha)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A circle of serene sages and householders listening to a Śiva-gāthā; a radiant Śiva-bhakta’s feet touch the earth, and the dust rises like a luminous tīrtha-stream blessing onlookers.

Characters & Entities

• Śūlin (Śiva)
• Munis
• Tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotees who listen and sing Śiva’s glories become living tīrthas; their presence sanctifies space.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse universalizes tīrtha: the devotees’ foot-dust is proclaimed to be itself a tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śravaṇa (listening) and kīrtana (praising/chanting) of Śiva’s narrative are explicitly recommended.