Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 177

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । विचित्रमिदमाख्यानं मया समनुवर्णितम् । भूयोऽपि वक्ष्ये माहात्म्यं सोमवारव्रतोदितम्

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | vicitramidamākhyānaṃ mayā samanuvarṇitam | bhūyo'pi vakṣye māhātmyaṃ somavāravratoditam

Translation

சூதர் கூறினார்—இந்த விசித்திரமான ஆக்யானத்தை நான் முழுமையாக விவரித்தேன். இனி மீண்டும், சோமவார விரதத்திற்குப் பிரகடனமான மஹாத்மியத்தை உரைப்பேன்.

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta
• सूतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/परिपूर्ण), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• विचित्रम्: wonderful/varied
• विचित्रम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विचित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषण

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Visheshya (Qualified/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• आख्यानम्: narrative/story
• आख्यानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आख्यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• समनुवर्णितम्: fully described
• समनुवर्णितम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + अनु + वर्ण् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; कर्मणि—‘has been fully described’

• भूयः: again/further
• भूयः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भूयः (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरुक्ति/अधिक्यार्थक-अव्यय (again/further)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक-अव्यय

• वक्ष्ये: I shall tell
• वक्ष्ये: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (भविष्यत्), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन

• माहात्म्यम्: greatness/glory
• माहात्म्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• सोमवार-व्रत-उदितम्: stated/expounded in the Monday-vow (account)
• सोमवार-व्रत-उदितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सोमवार (प्रातिपदिक) + व्रत (प्रातिपदिक) + उदित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √उद्/वद्?)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः—‘सोमवारव्रते उदितम्/उक्तम्’ (stated in the Monday-vow context)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa/Sauti)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Somavāra-vrata (pan-Indian observance rather than single site)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis (Naimiṣāraṇya-style audience implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta seated in a forest-āśrama or nāimīṣa-like assembly, addressing attentive ṛṣis; a manuscript/palm-leaf bundle nearby; the scene signals a shift from story to vow-instruction, with a subtle Śiva-liṅga or crescent-moon motif indicating Somavāra.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Somavāra-vrata

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A Purāṇic story culminates in dharma-instruction: vows (vratas) are taught through memorable narratives to inspire practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single site is specified in this verse; it introduces the māhātmya of a vrata rather than a locality.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It signals instruction on Somavāra-vrata (Monday observance), though details are not given in this line.