Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

इत्युक्ते वचने पार्थ तीर्थराजेन भारत । सर्वे नोचुः किंचनापि किं ब्रह्मा वक्ष्यतीति यत्

Transliteration

ityukte vacane pārtha tīrtharājena bhārata | sarve nocuḥ kiṃcanāpi kiṃ brahmā vakṣyatīti yat

Translation

தீர்த்தராஜன் இவ்வாறு கூறியபோது, ஓ பார்த்தா—ஓ பாரதா—அவர்களில் யாரும் எதையும் சொல்லவில்லை; ‘பிரம்மா என்ன சொல்வார்?’ என்று எண்ணினர்.

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotative/इति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरण-समाप्ति/वाक्य-परिसमाप्ति सूचक

• उक्ते: when (it was) spoken
• उक्ते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/सप्तमी)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Locative absolute with वचने: ‘when (it was) said’

• वचने: in the statement/words
• वचने: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Locative, Singular (सप्तमी-सम्बन्ध)

• पार्थ: O Pārtha
• पार्थ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Vocative, Singular

• तीर्थ-राजेन: by the king of tīrthas
• तीर्थ-राजेन: Karana (Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: तीर्थाणां राजा); पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• भारत: O Bhārata
• भारत: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Vocative, Singular

• सर्वे: all (of them)
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात

• ऊचुः: said/spoke
• ऊचुः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन — 3rd person plural

• किंचन: anything
• किंचन: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किंचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (even)

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular (interrogative)

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वक्ष्यति: will say
• वक्ष्यति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (simple future), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — 3rd person singular

• इति: (thinking) ‘thus’
• इति: Sambandha (Quotative/इति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इति-उद्धरणचिह्न

• यत्: because/that
• यत्: Hetu (Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय-प्रयोग; सम्बन्धबोधक (yad = because/that) — here: ‘because/that (they wondered)’

Speaker

Narrator (within the Nārada-framed account)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārtha (Arjuna)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An assembly falls silent after the tīrtha-rāja’s bold claim; all eyes turn inward, awaiting Brahmā’s response, with Pārtha addressed as witness.

Characters & Entities

• Tīrtharāja
• Brahmā
• Pārtha (Arjuna epithet used as address)
• Bhārata (epic-style address)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual hierarchies are confirmed through dhārmic deliberation—final endorsement is sought from Brahmā after the tīrtha’s claim.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Mahīsāgara-saṅgama as Tīrtharāja, whose declaration silences the assembly.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse depicts the assembly’s pause awaiting Brahmā’s response.