Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

श्रीसूत उवाच । सर्वमेतत्प्रवक्ष्यामि शृणुध्वं मुनिपुंगवाः । पठतां शृण्वतां चैतदाख्यानं पापनाश नम्

Transliteration

śrīsūta uvāca | sarvametatpravakṣyāmi śṛṇudhvaṃ munipuṃgavāḥ | paṭhatāṃ śṛṇvatāṃ caitadākhyānaṃ pāpanāśa nam

Translation

ശ്രീസൂതൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഇതെല്ലാം ഞാൻ വിശദമായി പറയും; ഹേ മുനിശ്രേഷ്ഠന്മാരേ, ശ്രദ്ധയോടെ കേൾക്കുവിൻ. ഈ പുണ്യാഖ്യാനം പാരായണം ചെയ്യുന്നവർക്കും ശ്രവിക്കുന്നവർക്കും പാപനാശം വരുത്തുന്നു.

Word by Word

• श्रीसूतः: the venerable Sūta
• श्रीसूतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रीसूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—श्री + सूत (विशेषण-विशेष्यभावः)

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

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• प्रवक्ष्यामि: I will explain
• प्रवक्ष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; उपसर्गः—प्र

• शृणुध्वम्: listen (you all)
• शृणुध्वम्: Sambodhana/Prayojaka (Addressed action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

• मुनिपुंगवाः: O best of sages
• मुनिपुंगवाः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि + पुंगव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative/Nominative form), बहुवचन; समासः—मुनिनां पुंगवाः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• पठताम्: of those who recite
• पठताम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पठ् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ/शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन; पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग-सम्भव (here gen. pl. used)

• शृण्वताम्: of those who listen
• शृण्वताम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ/शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (ākhyānam इति)

• आख्यानम्: narrative, account
• आख्यानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आख्यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• पापनाशनम्: sin-destroying
• पापनाशनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप + नाशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—पापस्य नाशनम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष); विशेषणम् (ākhyānam इति)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setukṣetra / Setubandha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: muni-puṅgavas (sages)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta seated in a forest-āśrama or Naimiṣāraṇya-like setting, addressing assembled sages; palm-leaf manuscripts, sacrificial fires, attentive listeners—an auspicious narrative commencement.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Ṛṣis (Sages)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śravaṇa (hearing) and pāṭha (recitation) of tīrtha-māhātmya are themselves purifying disciplines that erode sin and strengthen devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse introduces the forthcoming glory of Cakratīrtha/Devīpattana within the Setukhaṇḍa’s Rāmasetu landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Reciting (paṭha) and listening (śravaṇa) to the sacred narrative is prescribed as a sin-destroying practice.