Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

शृण्वतां शूलिनो गाथां तथा कीर्तयतां सताम् । तेषां पादरजांस्येव तीर्थानि मुनयो जगुः

Transliteration

śṛṇvatāṃ śūlino gāthāṃ tathā kīrtayatāṃ satām | teṣāṃ pādarajāṃsyeva tīrthāni munayo jaguḥ

Translation

ਜੋ ਸਤਪੁਰਖ ਤ੍ਰਿਸ਼ੂਲਧਾਰੀ ਸ਼ਿਵ ਦੀ ਗਾਥਾ ਸੁਣਦੇ ਅਤੇ ਉਸ ਦਾ ਕੀਰਤਨ ਕਰਦੇ ਹਨ, ਮੁਨੀਆਂ ਨੇ ਕਿਹਾ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਦੇ ਚਰਨਾਂ ਦੀ ਧੂੜ ਵੀ ਆਪ ਹੀ ਤੀਰਥ ਬਣ ਜਾਂਦੀ ਹੈ।

Word by Word

• शृण्वताम्: of (those) listening
• शृण्वताम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रु (धातु) → शृण्वत् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle)

• शूलिनः: of Śūlin (Śiva)
• शूलिनः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूलिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• गाथाम्: song, narrative
• गाथाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गाथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• तथा: and likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः—समुच्चय/उपपद (adverb/conjunctive particle)

• कीर्तयताम्: of (those) praising/reciting
• कीर्तयताम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कीर्तय् (धातु, णिच्) → कीर्तयत् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle)

• सताम्: of the good/virtuous
• सताम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-भाव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• पादरजांसि: the dust of (their) feet
• पादरजांसि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद + रजस् (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पादस्य रजः)

• इव: like, as it were
• इव: Sambandha (Comparison/उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमा-वाचक (comparative particle)

• तीर्थानि: holy places
• तीर्थानि: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• मुनयः: sages
• मुनयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• जगुः: said/sang
• जगुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गै (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Narrator/Teacher within Brahmottara Khaṇḍa (contextual; not explicit in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pāda-rajas of Śiva-bhaktas (portable tīrtha)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A circle of serene sages and householders listening to a Śiva-gāthā; a radiant Śiva-bhakta’s feet touch the earth, and the dust rises like a luminous tīrtha-stream blessing onlookers.

Characters & Entities

• Śūlin (Śiva)
• Munis
• Tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotees who listen and sing Śiva’s glories become living tīrthas; their presence sanctifies space.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse universalizes tīrtha: the devotees’ foot-dust is proclaimed to be itself a tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śravaṇa (listening) and kīrtana (praising/chanting) of Śiva’s narrative are explicitly recommended.