Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

श्रीमुनय ऊचुः । दक्षिणार्णवतीरेषु यानि तीर्थानि पंच च । तानि ब्रूहि विशालाक्ष वर्णयंत्यति तानि च

Transliteration

śrīmunaya ūcuḥ | dakṣiṇārṇavatīreṣu yāni tīrthāni paṃca ca | tāni brūhi viśālākṣa varṇayaṃtyati tāni ca

Translation

Para resi yang mulia berkata: “Di pesisir Dakṣiṇārṇava terdapat lima tīrtha, tempat mandi suci. Wahai yang bermata luas, ceritakanlah kepada kami tentangnya, dan huraikanlah sebagaimana ia dipuji.”

Word by Word

• śrī-munayaḥ: the venerable sages
• śrī-munayaḥ: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī (उपपद/विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक) + muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय (śrīmantaḥ munayaḥ)

• ūcuḥ: said
• ūcuḥ: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (वच् धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन

• dakṣiṇa-arṇava-tīreṣu: on the shores of the southern ocean
• dakṣiṇa-arṇava-tīreṣu: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dakṣiṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + arṇava (प्रातिपदिक) + tīra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (dakṣiṇasya arṇavasya tīreṣu)

• yāni: which
• yāni: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक सर्वनाम

• tīrthāni: pilgrimage places
• tīrthāni: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), बहुवचन

• paṃca: five
• paṃca: Visheshana (Numeral qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: paṃcan (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक विशेषण

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• tāni: those
• tāni: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• brūhi: tell
• brūhi: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: brū (ब्रू धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपद; मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन

• viśālākṣa: O wide-eyed one
• viśālākṣa: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśāla (प्रातिपदिक) + akṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; संबोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि (viśāle akṣī yasya)

• varṇayanti: describe
• varṇayanti: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: varṇaya (वर्णय्/वर्ण् धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरण-चिह्न (quotative)

• tāni: those (tīrthas)
• tāni: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

• ca: also/and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

Speaker

Sages (Munis) addressing Sūta (Ugraśravā), per Purāṇic dialogue convention

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Five tīrthas on the Dakṣiṇārṇava shore (pañca-tīrtha)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: the addressed narrator ‘viśālākṣa’ (wide-eyed one)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A forest hermitage assembly: sages seated in a semicircle, addressing a ‘wide-eyed’ narrator; in the distance a broad southern sea/river expanse (Dakṣiṇārṇava) with five marked bathing spots—ghāṭas, small shrines, and pilgrims descending steps.

Characters & Entities

• Sages (Munis)
• Dakṣiṇārṇava
• Tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage knowledge is transmitted through humble inquiry—sages request an authoritative account of holy places.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse introduces five tīrthas situated on the shore of Dakṣiṇārṇava (to be detailed in the ensuing narrative).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly tīrtha-sevā (visiting/bathing), but no specific rite is stated in this verse.