Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 170

Devanagari script

अथवा गम्यतां विप्राश्चिरं जीव सुखी भव । वृद्धस्य वाक्यं तच्छ्रुत्वा वाडवाश्चैकमानसाः

Transliteration

athavā gamyatāṃ viprāściraṃ jīva sukhī bhava | vṛddhasya vākyaṃ tacchrutvā vāḍavāścaikamānasāḥ

Translation

‘അല്ലെങ്കിൽ, ഹേ വിപ്രന്മാരേ, നിങ്ങൾ നിങ്ങളുടെ വഴിക്ക് പോകുക; ദീർഘായുസ്സോടെ സുഖമായി ഇരിക്കുക.’ വൃദ്ധന്റെ ആ വാക്ക് കേട്ട് വാഡവരും ഏകമനസ്സായി।

Word by Word

• अथवा: or else
• अथवा: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथवा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्प (disjunctive particle) = or/otherwise

• गम्यताम्: let (him/you) go
• गम्यताम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गम् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive): ‘let it be gone/let (you) go’

• विप्राः: O Brahmins
• विप्राः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन/प्रथमा (contextual address), बहुवचन

• चिरम्: for long
• चिरम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रयोग (adverbial accusative) = for a long time

• जीव: live
• जीव: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √जीव् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• सुखी: happy
• सुखी: Kriya (Predicate complement/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुखिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विधेयविशेषण (predicate adjective)

• भव: become/be
• भव: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• वृद्धस्य: of the old man
• वृद्धस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (of)

• वाक्यम्: the statement/words
• वाक्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; ‘that’ (referring to the words)

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund) = having heard

• वाडवाः: the vāḍavas (a group/people)
• वाडवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाडव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• एकमानसाः: of one mind/unanimous
• एकमानसाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक) + मानस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; ‘one-minded’

Speaker

Unspecified ‘vṛddha’ (elder) within the narrative

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas (viprāḥ) and the assembled Vāḍavas

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An elder speaks a calming benediction—‘Go on your way; live long; be happy’—and the Vāḍavas, previously divided, become united in purpose, their faces softening as tension dissolves.

Characters & Entities

• Vipra
• Vāḍava

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The counsel of elders can restore harmony; blessings and unity support dharma in times of tension.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; it is a concluding-type narrative movement within Dharmāraṇya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it contains a blessing and a description of unified resolve.