Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

कथयंतो महापुण्याः कथाः पापप्रणाशिनी । भुक्तिमुक्त्योरुपायं च जिज्ञासंतः परस्परम्

Transliteration

kathayaṃto mahāpuṇyāḥ kathāḥ pāpapraṇāśinī | bhuktimuktyorupāyaṃ ca jijñāsaṃtaḥ parasparam

Translation

അവർ മഹാപുണ്യമായ പാപനാശിനിയായ പുണ്യകഥകൾ പരസ്പരം പറയുകയും, ഭുക്തിയും മുക്തിയും—ഇരുവർക്കുമുള്ള ഉപായം സംബന്ധിച്ച് തമ്മിൽ തമ്മിൽ ചോദിച്ചറിയുകയും ചെയ്തു।

Word by Word

• कथयन्तः: narrating / telling
• कथयन्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथय् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले (लट्-अर्थे) शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्तः; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन, पुंलिङ्ग (कर्तरि प्रयोगः) — Present active participle (śatṛ), nominative plural masculine

• महापुण्याः: very meritorious
• महापुण्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महापुण्य (प्रातिपदिक: महा + पुण्य)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, nominative plural; adjective qualifying the speakers

• कथाः: stories, discourses
• कथाः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Feminine, accusative plural

• पापप्रणाशिनीः: destroying sins
• पापप्रणाशिनीः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पापप्रणाशिनी (प्रातिपदिक: पाप + प्रणाशिनी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Feminine, accusative plural; adjective of कथाः

• भुक्तिमुक्त्योः: of enjoyment and liberation
• भुक्तिमुक्त्योः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, द्विवचन — Feminine, genitive dual

• उपायम्: means, method
• उपायम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपाय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, accusative singular

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

• जिज्ञासन्तः: desiring to know, inquiring
• जिज्ञासन्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले (लट्-अर्थे) शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्तः; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन, पुंलिङ्ग; धातोः सन्-प्रत्यय (जिज्ञास-) — Present active participle (desiderative stem), nominative plural masculine

• परस्परम्: mutually, among one another
• परस्परम्: Adhikarana (Adverbial/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परस्पर (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभावप्राय)
• Form: अव्यय; परस्पर-शब्दः क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण (adverb)

Speaker

Narrator

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Naimiṣāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the assembled ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A circle of ascetics in a sacred forest hermitage, exchanging sin-destroying holy narratives; gestures of inquiry and attentive listening under ancient trees near a yajña-śālā.

Characters & Entities

• Ṛṣis (sages)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic sacred discourse purifies sin and guides seekers toward both righteous prosperity and liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting is the sacred assembly context (Naimiṣāraṇya in the surrounding verses); Setu Māhātmya is the main forthcoming praise.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Kathā-śravaṇa/kathā-vārtā (holy narration and inquiry) as a spiritual practice.