Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

ततः पुण्यां कथां दिव्यां श्रावयामास धर्मवित् । कथांते मुनिशार्दूलं वचनं चेदमब्रवीत्

Transliteration

tataḥ puṇyāṃ kathāṃ divyāṃ śrāvayāmāsa dharmavit | kathāṃte muniśārdūlaṃ vacanaṃ cedamabravīt

Translation

അനന്തരം ധർമ്മവിദൻ പുണ്യവും ദിവ്യവുമായ കഥ ശ്രവിപ്പിച്ചു. കഥാന്തത്തിൽ അദ്ദേഹം മുനിശാർദൂലനോട് ഈ വചനങ്ങൾ അരുളിച്ചെയ്തു।

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय; तद्-प्रातिपदिकात्)
• Form: काल/अनन्तर-अव्यय — adverb of sequence (‘thereupon’)

• पुण्याम्: holy
• पुण्याम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Feminine, Accusative (2nd), Singular; ‘कथाम्’ विशेषण

• कथाम्: story, discourse
• कथाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Feminine, Accusative (2nd), Singular

• दिव्याम्: divine
• दिव्याम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Feminine, Accusative (2nd), Singular; ‘कथाम्’ विशेषण

• श्रावयामास: recited, caused (them) to hear
• श्रावयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु) → श्रावय (णिच्) + आमास (लिट्-परस्मैपद)
• Form: लिट् (परिप्रश्न/भूतार्थे), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative) — Perfect, 3rd person, Singular, Parasmaipada; causative ‘caused to hear/recited’

• धर्मवित्: knower of dharma
• धर्मवित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म + विद् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘धर्मं वेत्ति’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular; तत्पुरुष (धर्मं वेत्ति इति)

• कथा-अन्ते: at the end of the story
• कथा-अन्ते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथा + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन — Masculine, Locative (7th), Singular; तत्पुरुष (कथायाः अन्ते)

• मुनिशार्दूलम्: the tiger among sages
• मुनिशार्दूलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि + शार्दूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative (2nd), Singular; कर्मधारय (मुनिः एव शार्दूलः)

• वचनम्: words, speech
• वचनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative (2nd), Singular

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय — conjunction

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative (2nd), Singular

• अब्रवीत्: said, spoke
• अब्रवीत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — Imperfect, 3rd person, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

Sūta (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: muni-śārdūla (addressed indirectly)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dharma-knower (elder sage) begins a sacred discourse; listeners sit attentive. At the conclusion, he turns toward the foremost sage (‘muni-śārdūla’) and delivers a concise instruction.

Characters & Entities

• Dharma (dharma-vit)
• Muni-śārdūla (an eminent sage; unnamed here)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred listening and recitation of divine kathā is presented as a meritorious vehicle for transmitting dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; it is a framing verse within the Dharmāraṇya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śravaṇa (hearing) of puṇya-kathā is implied as a devotional practice.