Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

जननीचरणौ स्मृत्वा सर्वतीर्थोक्त्त मोत्तमौ । पितरं च गुरूंश्चापि हदि ध्यात्वा प्रसन्नधीः

Transliteration

jananīcaraṇau smṛtvā sarvatīrthoktta mottamau | pitaraṃ ca gurūṃścāpi hadi dhyātvā prasannadhīḥ

Translation

സകല തീർത്ഥങ്ങളിലും അത്യുത്തമമെന്നു പ്രസിദ്ധമായ മാതാവിന്റെ പാദങ്ങൾ സ്മരിച്ച്, പിന്നെ പ്രസന്നബുദ്ധിയോടെ ഹൃദയത്തിൽ പിതാവിനെയും ഗുരുക്കന്മാരെയും ധ്യാനിക്കണം।

Word by Word

• जननी-चरणौ: the mother’s feet
• जननी-चरणौ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जननी (प्रातिपदिक) + चरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), द्विवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (जनन्याः चरणौ)

• स्मृत्वा: having remembered
• स्मृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive), परस्मैपदी; अर्थः ‘स्मरणं कृत्वा’

• सर्व-तीर्थ-उक्त: spoken of by all tīrthas / in all sacred contexts
• सर्व-तीर्थ-उक्त: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + उक्त (कृदन्त, √वच्/वद्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, द्विवचन; विशेषणम् (मोत्तमौ इति)

• मोत्तमौ: the two most excellent
• मोत्तमौ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), द्विवचन; ‘अति-उत्तम’ (श्रेष्ठतमौ)

• पितरम्: father
• पितरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• गुरून्: teachers/elders
• गुरून्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक-अव्यय (also/even)

• हृदि: in the heart
• हृदि: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हृद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• ध्यात्वा: having meditated upon
• ध्यात्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ध्यै (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive), परस्मैपदी; अर्थः ‘ध्यानं कृत्वा’

• प्रसन्न-धीः: one whose mind is serene
• प्रसन्न-धीः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रसन्न (प्रातिपदिक) + धी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः; विशेषणरूपेण कर्तरि

Speaker

Deductive: a Dharma-instructor voice within Dharmāraṇya Khaṇḍa (narrative speaker not explicit in the snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mātṛcaraṇa-tīrtha (metaphorical)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee bows to the mother’s feet with folded hands; behind, a calm heart-lotus motif contains subtle images of father and gurus seated in blessing posture, indicating ‘hṛdi dhyāna’.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverence to mother, father, and guru is portrayed as a supreme purifier—equal to (or greater than) pilgrimage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No geographic site; the mother’s feet are metaphorically declared the highest tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Smaraṇa and hṛd-dhyāna (inner meditation) on mother, father, and teachers as part of daily conduct.