Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

कथं वा धनुषः कोटौ मुक्तिस्तस्याप्यभून्मुने । एतन्नः श्रद्दधानानां विस्तराद्वक्तुमर्हसि

Transliteration

kathaṃ vā dhanuṣaḥ koṭau muktistasyāpyabhūnmune | etannaḥ śraddadhānānāṃ vistarādvaktumarhasi

Translation

మరియు హే మునీ, ధనుషః-కోటిలో అతనికీ విముక్తి ఎలా కలిగెను? మేము శ్రద్ధగలవారము; కనుక దీనిని విస్తారంగా చెప్పవలసినది.

Word by Word

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (प्रश्नार्थक) — interrogative adverb

• वा: and/or
• वा: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (विकल्प/समुच्चय) — particle ‘or/indeed’

• धनुषः: of the bow (Dhanuṣ-)
• धनुषः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन — neuter genitive singular

• कोटौ: at Koṭi (point/shore)
• कोटौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन — feminine locative singular

• मुक्तिः: release, liberation
• मुक्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — feminine nominative singular

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन — genitive singular ‘of him’

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अपि-कार) — particle ‘also/even’

• अभूत्: happened/occurred
• अभूत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (अद्यतनभूत/Aorist), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — 3rd person singular aorist, active

• मुने: O sage
• मुने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन — masculine vocative singular

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — neuter accusative singular

• नः: to us / of us
• नः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन (enclitic) — genitive plural ‘of us/for us’

• श्रद्दधानानाम्: of us who are faithful
• श्रद्दधानानाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रद्-√धा (धातु √धा ‘to place’)
• Form: शतृ/शानच्-वर्तमानकृदन्त (present participle, आत्मनेपदभाव); पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन — genitive plural ‘of (those) having faith’

• विस्तरात्: in detail
• विस्तरात्: Adhikarana (Manner/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विस्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन — masculine ablative singular; प्रकार/रीत्या (in detail)

• वक्तुम्: to tell
• वक्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive) — ‘to speak’

• अर्हसि: you ought/are able
• अर्हसि: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अर्ह् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान/Present), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — 2nd person singular present, active

Speaker

Ṛṣis (Sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dhanuṣkoṭi

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sūta

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sages, with palms joined, implore the narrator to explain the paradox: grave sin and sudden release at Dhanuṣkoṭi; the scene is a calm hermitage with an undercurrent of wonder.

Characters & Entities

• Dhanuṣkoṭi
• Ṛṣis
• Sūta (addressed)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Faithful listening and earnest questioning are portrayed as proper gateways to understanding liberation taught through tīrtha narratives.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dhanuṣkoṭi (Dhanuṣaḥ-koṭi), explicitly named as the place connected with release.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual; the implied practice is śravaṇa (listening) to the detailed kathā with śraddhā.