Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 73

Devanagari script

काश्यप उवाच । रामनाथ तव पादसेविनां किं व्रतैरुत तपोभिरध्वरैः । वेदशास्त्र जपचिन्तया च किं स्वर्गसिन्धुपयसापि किं फलम्

Transliteration

kāśyapa uvāca | rāmanātha tava pādasevināṃ kiṃ vratairuta tapobhiradhvaraiḥ | vedaśāstra japacintayā ca kiṃ svargasindhupayasāpi kiṃ phalam

Translation

കാശ്യപൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഹേ രാമനാഥാ! നിന്റെ പാദസേവ ചെയ്യുന്നവർക്ക് വ്രതം, തപസ്സ്, യാഗം എന്നിവ എന്തിന്? വേദശാസ്ത്രാധ്യയനം, ജപം, ധ്യാനചിന്ത എന്നിവയ്ക്കും എന്ത് ആവശ്യമാണ്? സ്വർഗ്ഗസിന്ധുവിന്റെ ജലവും അവർക്കു ഇനി ഏതു അധികഫലം നൽകും?

Word by Word

• काश्यपः: Kāśyapa
• काश्यपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कश्यप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• रामनाथ: O Lord of Rāma (O Rāmanātha)
• रामनाथ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम + नाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), एकवचन

• तव: of you/your
• तव: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• पादसेविनाम्: of the servants of (your) feet
• पादसेविनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद + सेविन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• किम्: what (use?)
• किम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक

• व्रतैः: by vows; with observances
• व्रतैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• उत: or/and
• उत: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उत (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/विकल्पार्थक-निपात (particle: 'or/and')

• तपोभिः: by austerities
• तपोभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• अध्वरैः: by sacrifices
• अध्वरैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अध्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• वेदशास्त्र: Vedas and śāstras
• वेदशास्त्र: Vishaya (Topic/object/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद + शास्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; समाहार-द्वन्द्व

• जपचिन्तया: by recitation and contemplation
• जपचिन्तया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जप + चिन्ता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; समाहार-द्वन्द्व

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

• किम्: what (use?)
• किम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक

• स्वर्गसिन्धुपयसाऽपि: even by the milk of the heavenly river
• स्वर्गसिन्धुपयसाऽपि: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग + सिन्धु + पयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; अपि (अव्यय) संलग्न

• किम्: what (use?)
• किम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक

• फलम्: fruit; result
• फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन

Speaker

Kāśyapa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Rāmanātha (Rāmeśvara) at Setu

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rāmanātha (Śiva)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sage Kāśyapa, hands folded, praises Rāmanātha’s lotus-feet; behind, the sea-setu horizon and the temple-liṅga sanctum glow, suggesting that even heavenly Gaṅgā pales before devotion.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśyapa
• Rāmanātha (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Single-point devotion—serving the Lord’s feet—is presented as surpassing ritual, austerity, and even famed purifying waters.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śrī Rāmanātha at Setu—identified with the Rāmeśvaram/Setubandha sacred geography in the Setukhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; common meritorious acts (vrata, tapa, yajña, japa, śāstra-study) are referenced to emphasize that bhakti is supreme.