Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ऋषय ऊचुः । सर्ववेदार्थतत्त्वज्ञ पुराणार्णवपारग । व्यासपादांबुजद्वंद्वनमस्कारहृताशुभ

Transliteration

ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | sarvavedārthatattvajña purāṇārṇavapāraga | vyāsapādāṃbujadvaṃdvanamaskārahṛtāśubha

Translation

ഋഷികൾ പറഞ്ഞു— ഹേ സർവ്വവേദാർത്ഥതത്ത്വജ്ഞാ! ഹേ പുരാണാർണവപാരഗാ! വ്യാസന്റെ യുഗള പദ്മപാദങ്ങൾക്ക് നമസ്കരിച്ചതാൽ അശുഭം നീങ്ങിയവനേ!

Word by Word

• ऋषयः: the sages
• ऋषयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन

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

• सर्ववेदार्थतत्त्वज्ञ: O knower of the true meaning of all Vedas
• सर्ववेदार्थतत्त्वज्ञ: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + वेद + अर्थ + तत्त्व + ज्ञ (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (‘सर्वेषां वेदानाम् अर्थ-तत्त्वं जानाति’)

• पुराणार्णवपारग: O one who has crossed the ocean of Purāṇas
• पुराणार्णवपारग: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुराण + अर्णव + पारग (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘पुराण-अर्णवस्य पारगः’ = one who has crossed the ocean of Purāṇas)

• व्यासपादाम्बुजद्वन्द्वनमस्कारहृताशुभ: O you whose inauspiciousness is removed by salutation to Vyāsa’s pair of lotus-feet
• व्यासपादाम्बुजद्वन्द्वनमस्कारहृताशुभ: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यास + पाद + अम्बुज + द्वन्द्व + नमस्कार + हृत + अशुभ (प्रातिपदिकानि; हृत = हृ-धातोः क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—‘व्यासस्य पादाम्बुज-द्वन्द्वे नमस्कारः येन, तेन हृतम् अशुभं यस्य सः’

Speaker

Ṛṣis (Sages)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Primary narrator/reciter (likely Sūta or a Purāṇa-kathaka within the frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A forest hermitage assembly: sages seated in a semicircle, hands folded, addressing the narrator; a symbolic vision of Vyāsa’s lotus feet appears as a radiant motif above, signifying purification through reverence.

Characters & Entities

• Ṛṣis
• Vyāsa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic wisdom is received through humble reverence for the lineage—especially Vyāsa—by which auspicious understanding arises.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it introduces the next Setukhaṇḍa discussion that continues the Setu/Rāmeśvara context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Namaskāra (salutation) to Vyāsa’s lotus-feet, reflecting reverence to the guru-paramparā of Purāṇic teaching.