Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

युधिष्ठिर उवाच । कीदृशं शासनं ब्रह्मन्रामेण लिखितं पुरा । कथयस्व प्रसादेन त्रेतायां सत्यमंदिरे

Transliteration

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | kīdṛśaṃ śāsanaṃ brahmanrāmeṇa likhitaṃ purā | kathayasva prasādena tretāyāṃ satyamaṃdire

Translation

युधिष्ठिर म्हणाला—“हे ब्रह्मन्, रामाने पूर्वी कोणते शासनपत्र लिहिले होते? कृपा करून सांगावे—त्रेतायुगात सत्य-मंदिरात (जारी केलेले) ते.”

Word by Word

• युधिष्ठिरः: Yudhiṣṭhira
• युधिष्ठिरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yudhiṣṭhira (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

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

• कीदृशम्: what kind of
• कीदृशम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kīdṛśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक विशेषण (interrogative adjective)

• शासनम्: edict, inscription, decree
• शासनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śāsana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• ब्रह्मन्: O Brahman (sage)
• ब्रह्मन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• रामेण: by Rāma
• रामेण: Karana (Instrument/Agent in passive; करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• लिखितम्: written
• लिखितम्: Kriya/Predicate (क्रिया/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: likh (लिख् धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: purā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

• कथयस्व: tell (me)
• कथयस्व: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kath (कथ् धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• प्रसादेन: by (your) grace
• प्रसादेन: Hetu/Means (Cause/means; हेतु/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prasāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• त्रेतायाम्: in the Tretā (age)
• त्रेतायाम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tretā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• सत्यमन्दिरे: in the Satya-temple
• सत्यमन्दिरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: satya-mandira (सत्य + मन्दिर)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (‘सत्यं मन्दिरम्’ = the true/Truth-temple)

Speaker

Yudhiṣṭhira

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Satyamandira

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Vyāsa

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Yudhiṣṭhira, seated respectfully, questions Vyāsa about an ancient inscription/edict authored by Rāma at Satyamandira in Tretā-yuga; a stone/copperplate charter is shown between them, with sacred architecture hinted in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Vyāsa (implied addressee)
• Rāma
• Tretāyuga
• Satyamandira

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharmic governance leaves sacred records (śāsana) that preserve tīrtha-institutions and guide later generations.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Satyamandira within the Dharmāraṇya setting is referenced as the locus of Rāma’s edict in Tretāyuga.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual; it introduces an inquiry into a śāsana (edict) connected to maintaining dharma in a sacred place.