Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

उभाभ्यां यत्तु दृष्टं हि तत्पुराणेषु गीयते । पुराणं सर्वशास्त्राणां प्रथमं ब्रह्मणः स्मृतम्

Transliteration

ubhābhyāṃ yattu dṛṣṭaṃ hi tatpurāṇeṣu gīyate | purāṇaṃ sarvaśāstrāṇāṃ prathamaṃ brahmaṇaḥ smṛtam

Translation

வேதமும் ஸ்மிருதியும்—இரண்டிலும் காணப்படும் தத்துவமே புராணங்களில் பாடப்படுகிறது. புராணம் எல்லா சாஸ்திரங்களிலும் முதன்மை; அது பிரம்மாவிடமிருந்து நினைவாக வந்தது என்று போற்றப்படுகிறது.

Word by Word

• ubhābhyām: by both
• ubhābhyām: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ubhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (द्वयवाचक), तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), द्विवचन; 'उभाभ्याम्' = by both (i.e., Veda and Smṛti)

• yat: whatever which
• yat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक

• tu: indeed; but
• tu: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक-अव्यय (but/indeed)

• dṛṣṭam: seen; found
• dṛṣṭam: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया-भाव)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (दृश् धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त-भूतकृत् (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात-अव्यय (indeed)

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• purāṇeṣu: in the Purāṇas
• purāṇeṣu: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: purāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), बहुवचन

• gīyate: is sung; is proclaimed
• gīyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gai (गै धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• purāṇam: the Purāṇa
• purāṇam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: purāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• sarvaśāstrāṇām: of all śāstras
• sarvaśāstrāṇām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva-śāstra (प्रातिपदिक; sarva + śāstra)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• prathamam: first; foremost
• prathamam: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prathama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; विशेषण (of purāṇam)

• brahmaṇaḥ: of Brahmā
• brahmaṇaḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• smṛtam: remembered; recorded as
• smṛtam: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया-भाव)
• Type: Verb
• Root: smṛ (स्मृ धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त-भूतकृत् (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced for Purāṇa-introductory discourse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) section—general mahatmya frame

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā seated on a lotus, emanating a radiant manuscript/stream of verses that sages receive and chant; the ‘sung’ nature is shown by musical notation or vīṇā nearby; river motif hints at Revā context.

Characters & Entities

• Purāṇa
• Brahmā
• Veda
• Smṛti

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇa is presented as an authoritative, Brahmā-rooted vehicle that harmonizes and proclaims Vedic and Smṛti dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None in this verse; it is a doctrinal bridge preparing the reader for sacred-geography teachings in the Revā Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual instruction appears; the focus is on scriptural provenance and authority.