Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 168

Devanagari script

सरितः केचिदाहुः स्म सप्तैव ज्ञानवित्तमाः । अनपेतव्रतकामोऽत्र ब्रह्मचर्यं चरामि च

Transliteration

saritaḥ kecidāhuḥ sma saptaiva jñānavittamāḥ | anapetavratakāmo'tra brahmacaryaṃ carāmi ca

Translation

ଜ୍ଞାନ ଓ ବିବେକରେ ଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ କେହି କହନ୍ତି—ଏଠାରେ ସତ୍ୟରେ ସାତଟି ନଦୀ ଅଛି। ଏଠାରେ ବ୍ରତ ଅପଚ୍ୟୁତ ନ ହେଉ ବୋଲି ଇଚ୍ଛା କରି ମୁଁ ବ୍ରହ୍ମଚର୍ୟ ମଧ୍ୟ ଆଚରଣ କରେ।

Word by Word

• saritaḥ: rivers
• saritaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarit (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• kecit: some
• kecit: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक

• āhuḥ: have said / say
• āhuḥ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ah (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• sma: indeed/once (past marker)
• sma: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sma (अव्यय)
• Form: स्म-प्रयोगः (particle indicating past/recollection)

• sapta: seven
• sapta: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sapta (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्दः; (here) प्रथमा/द्वितीया बहुवचनार्थे ‘seven’

• eva: only/indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• jñāna-vittamāḥ: the best among the wise
• jñāna-vittamāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jñāna + vittama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘ज्ञानस्य वित्तमाः’ = ज्ञानिनां श्रेष्ठाः (superlative sense)

• anapeta-vrata-kāmaḥ: desiring (to remain) unfallen from the vow
• anapeta-vrata-kāmaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anapeta + vrata + kāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘व्रतात् अनपेतः’ (not deviated from vow) + ‘कामी’ (desirous)

• atra: here
• atra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• brahmacaryam: celibate discipline (brahmacarya)
• brahmacaryam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahmacarya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• carāmi: I practice
• carāmi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: car (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन

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

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvara-khaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sapta-sarit-tīrtha (as described)

Type: sangam

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A contemplative ascetic at a seven-stream confluence or seven-channel river-scape, hands in añjali, taking a vow; behind him, learned sages gesture as they enumerate the seven rivers.

Characters & Entities

• Sapta Nadī (seven rivers)
• Brahmacarya (vow)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True tīrtha merit is joined to steadfast vow-observance; brahmacarya is presented as intentional, unwavering discipline.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A context involving ‘seven rivers’; the verse does not supply a specific geographic name.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Observance of brahmacarya as a vrata, explicitly described as not deviating from the vow.