Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

श्रीसूत उवाच । गायत्र्याश्च सरस्वत्या माहात्म्यप्रतिपादकम् । इतिहासं प्रवक्ष्यामि शृण्वतां पापनाशनम्

Transliteration

śrīsūta uvāca | gāyatryāśca sarasvatyā māhātmyapratipādakam | itihāsaṃ pravakṣyāmi śṛṇvatāṃ pāpanāśanam

Translation

ശ്രീസൂതൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഗായത്രിയുടെയും സരസ്വതിയുടെയും മഹാത്മ്യം പ്രതിപാദിക്കുന്ന ഒരു ഇതിഹാസം ഞാൻ പ്രസ്താവിക്കും; കേൾക്കുന്നവരുടെ പാപങ്ങൾ നശിക്കും.

Word by Word

• श्रीसूतः: Śrī Sūta
• श्रीसूतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री-सूत (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः

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

• गायत्र्याः: of Gāyatrī
• गायत्र्याः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गायत्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक

• सरस्वत्याः: of Sarasvatī
• सरस्वत्याः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस्वती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• माहात्म्यप्रतिपादकम्: expounding the greatness
• माहात्म्यप्रतिपादकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: माहात्म्य-प्रतिपादक (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (माहात्म्यस्य प्रतिपादकम्) विशेषणम् (इतिहासम्)

• इतिहासम्: a sacred narrative (itihāsa)
• इतिहासम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इतिहास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• प्रवक्ष्यामि: I shall narrate
• प्रवक्ष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) + प्र (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदम्; उपसर्गयुक्त

• शृण्वताम्: of the listeners
• शृण्वताम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present participle), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; ‘शृण्वताम्’ = of those listening

• पापनाशनम्: destroying sins
• पापनाशनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप-नाशन (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पापस्य नाशनम्) विशेषणम् (इतिहासम्)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa/Sūta)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gāyatrī-tīrtha; Sarasvatī-tīrtha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣayaḥ / dvijasattamāḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta formally begins the ‘itihāsa’ with a gesture of narration; the words appear as luminous script flowing toward listeners, washing away dark stains symbolizing sins; Devī motifs (veena, mantra-sun) hover subtly.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Gāyatrī
• Sarasvatī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Listening to a māhātmya with faith is itself a purificatory spiritual discipline that removes sin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader Setukhaṇḍa context frames the tīrtha-glory; this verse specifically glorifies the deities Gāyatrī and Sarasvatī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śravaṇa (hearing) of the māhātmya/itihāsa is stated to yield pāpa-nāśa (destruction of sins).