Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

श्रीसूत उवाच । तारकब्रह्मणस्तस्य तीर्थे स्नात्वा द्विजोत्तमाः । लक्ष्मणस्य ततस्तीर्थमभिगच्छेत्समाहितः

Transliteration

śrīsūta uvāca | tārakabrahmaṇastasya tīrthe snātvā dvijottamāḥ | lakṣmaṇasya tatastīrthamabhigacchetsamāhitaḥ

Translation

ശ്രീസൂതൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഹേ ദ്വിജോത്തമന്മാരേ! താരകബ്രഹ്മന്റെ തീർത്ഥത്തിൽ സ്നാനം ചെയ്ത്, പിന്നെ സമാഹിതചിത്തത്തോടെ ലക്ഷ്മണതീർത്ഥത്തിലേക്ക് പോകണം.

Word by Word

• श्रीसूतः: the venerable Sūta
• श्रीसूतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रीसूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः—श्री + सूतः (कर्मधारयः)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• तारकब्रह्मणः: of Tāraka-brahman
• तारकब्रह्मणः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तारकब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (ब्रह्मन्-शब्दः), षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; समासः—तारक + ब्रह्मन् (तत्पुरुषः)

• तस्य: of that (place/person)
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• तीर्थे: at the sacred ford
• तीर्थे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), अव्ययभावः; पूर्वकाले कृत्य (having done)

• द्विजोत्तमाः: best of the twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विजोत्तमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; समासः—द्विजानाम् उत्तमाः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)

• लक्ष्मणस्य: of Lakṣmaṇa
• लक्ष्मणस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्ष्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• तीर्थम्: the sacred ford
• तीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• अभिगच्छेत्: should go to/approach
• अभिगच्छेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि + गम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• समाहितः: composed, attentive
• समाहितः: Karta-visheshana (Qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + आ + धा (धातु) → समाहित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa / Śrī Sūta)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Tāraka-brahma-tīrtha; Lakṣmaṇa-tīrtha (as next station)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijottamāḥ (assembled brāhmaṇas/sages)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta instructs assembled brāhmaṇas: pilgrims bathe at a first sacred ford named for Tāraka-brahman, then walk in disciplined procession toward Lakṣmaṇa’s tīrtha, minds composed, carrying waterpots and prayer beads.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Tāraka-brahman
• Lakṣmaṇa
• Lakṣmaṇatīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is to be performed as a disciplined sādhana: moving from tīrtha to tīrtha with mental focus and reverence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse highlights a sequence: first the Tāraka-brahman tīrtha, then Lakṣmaṇatīrtha within the Setu region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (bathing) at the first tīrtha, followed by mindful travel to Lakṣmaṇatīrtha.