Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

गवेषणाय मूलस्य त्वमधस्ताद्धरे व्रज । इति तस्य वचः श्रुत्वा तथे त्याह रमापतिः

Transliteration

gaveṣaṇāya mūlasya tvamadhastāddhare vraja | iti tasya vacaḥ śrutvā tathe tyāha ramāpatiḥ

Translation

“ഹേ ഹരി! മൂലം (അടിസ്ഥാനം) അന്വേഷിക്കാൻ നീ താഴോട്ടു പോകുക.” ആ വാക്ക് കേട്ട് രമാപതി (വിഷ്ണു) “തഥാസ്തു” എന്നു മറുപടി പറഞ്ഞു.

Word by Word

• गवेषणाय: for searching
• गवेषणाय: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गवेषण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (4th case), एकवचन; प्रयोजन (purpose/dative)

• मूलस्य: of the root/base
• मूलस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, मध्यम-पुरुषार्थ (2nd person pronoun), प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अधस्तात्: downwards, below
• अधस्तात्: Gati/Direction (दिशा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अधस् (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• हरे: O Hari
• हरे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (vocative), एकवचन

• व्रज: go
• व्रज: Kriya (Command/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/वाक्यसमाप्ति-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध

• वचः: words, speech
• वचः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्म

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Kriya (Gerundial/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकाल (prior action)

• तथा: so, thus
• तथा: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-अव्यय (quotative)

• आह: said
• आह: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अह्/ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• रमापतिः: Lord of Ramā (Viṣṇu)
• रमापतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रमा (प्रातिपदिक) + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष ('of Ramā' + 'lord'); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (reporting Brahmā’s instruction and Viṣṇu’s assent)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pātāla-mārga (conceptual descent)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā commands Hari to descend to find the Liṅga’s root; Viṣṇu, calm and dutiful, accepts the charge before the assembled gods.

Characters & Entities

• Hari (Viṣṇu)
• Brahmā
• Ramā (Lakṣmī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even divine powers submit to a higher reality and undertake disciplined inquiry rather than mere argument.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setu is the narrative container; the verse itself focuses on the cosmic quest motif that undergirds Setu’s Śaiva glory.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.