Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 96

Devanagari script

यत्पुरा सनकादिभ्यः प्रोक्तवांश्चतुराननः

Transliteration

yatpurā sanakādibhyaḥ proktavāṃścaturānanaḥ

Translation

ഇത് പുരാതനകാലത്ത് ചതുരാനനനായ ബ്രഹ്മാവ് സനകാദി ഋഷിമാർക്ക് ഉപദേശിച്ചതാണ്.

Word by Word

• yat: which/that (teaching)
• yat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक—‘that which’

• purā: formerly
• purā: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: purā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb of time)

• sanakādibhyaḥ: to Sanaka and others
• sanakādibhyaḥ: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sanaka-ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास: ‘सनकः आदिः येषाम्’ (आदि-समास); पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (सम्प्रदान), बहुवचन

• proktavān: taught/declared
• proktavān: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√vac (धातु) से ‘prokta’ + ‘-vat’ (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्तवत्), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि—‘having spoken/taught’

• caturānanaḥ: the four-faced one (Brahmā)
• caturānanaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: catur-ānana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास: ‘चत्वारि आननानि यस्य’ (four-faced); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (deduced; this line functions as a source-attribution within the narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sādhyāmṛta Tīrtha (as the taught subject)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā, four-faced, seated on a lotus, instructs the youthful Sanakādi sages in a luminous cosmic setting; manuscripts and water-vessels symbolize sacred knowledge and tīrtha purity.

Characters & Entities

• Caturānana (Brahmā)
• Sanaka (Sanakādi sages)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The māhātmya is grounded in an ancient teaching lineage, emphasizing scriptural authority and continuity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

It continues the Sādhyāmṛta Tīrtha discussion by citing its traditional source.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; this verse is a paramparā (lineage) marker attributing the teaching to Brahmā.