Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

गण्यंते पांसवो भूमेर्गण्यंते दिवि तारकाः । सेतुदर्शनजं पुण्यं शेषेणापि न गण्यते

Transliteration

gaṇyaṃte pāṃsavo bhūmergaṇyaṃte divi tārakāḥ | setudarśanajaṃ puṇyaṃ śeṣeṇāpi na gaṇyate

Translation

ഭൂമിയിലെ ധൂളികണങ്ങൾ എണ്ണാം, ആകാശത്തിലെ നക്ഷത്രങ്ങളും എണ്ണാം; എന്നാൽ സേതുദർശനത്തിൽ നിന്നുള്ള പുണ്യം ലേശമാത്രം പോലും അളക്കാനാവില്ല.

Word by Word

• गण्यन्ते: are counted
• गण्यन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गण् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive sense)

• पांसवः: dust particles
• पांसवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पांसु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• भूमेः: of the earth
• भूमेः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• गण्यन्ते: are counted
• गण्यन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गण् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग

• दिवि: in heaven/in the sky
• दिवि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिव्/द्यौ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• तारकाः: stars
• तारकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तारका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• सेतुदर्शनजम्: born of seeing the Setu
• सेतुदर्शनजम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सेतु + दर्शन + ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; समासः: (सेतोः दर्शनात् जातम्)

• पुण्यम्: merit
• पुण्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• शेषेण: even with the remainder (i.e., by any remainder/measure)
• शेषेण: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; 'शेषेण' = शेषभागेन/अवशिष्टेन

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपेक्षार्थक निपात (particle)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation)

• गण्यते: is counted
• गण्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गण् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setu

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Cosmic comparison tableau: on one side, a sage counting dust grains; on the other, an astronomer counting stars; above them, Setu-darśana radiates an uncountable golden stream of merit.

Characters & Entities

• Setu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇas emphasize that sacred-place darśana can yield immeasurable spiritual merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setu (Setubandha/Setu-tīrtha).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Darśana—seeing the Setu.