Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

तिस्रो विद्या इमा मुख्याः सर्वशास्त्रविनिर्णये । पुराणं पञ्चमो वेद इति ब्रह्मानुशासनम्

Transliteration

tisro vidyā imā mukhyāḥ sarvaśāstravinirṇaye | purāṇaṃ pañcamo veda iti brahmānuśāsanam

Translation

วิชาทั้งสามนี้เป็นหลักในการวินิจฉัยคัมภีร์ทั้งปวง ‘ปุราณะเป็นเวทที่ห้า’—นี่คือพระบัญชาของพระพรหมา

Word by Word

• tisraḥ: three
• tisraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tri (त्रि, संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• vidyāḥ: knowledges
• vidyāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vidyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• imāḥ: these
• imāḥ: Karta (Subject determiner/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: idam (इदम्, सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• mukhyāḥ: principal
• mukhyāḥ: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mukhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• sarva-śāstra-vinirṇaye: in the determination of all śāstras
• sarva-śāstra-vinirṇaye: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (सर्व) + śāstra (शास्त्र) + vinirṇaya (विनिर्णय)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः; पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (locative: in/for the determination)

• purāṇam: the Purāṇa
• purāṇam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: purāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• pañcamaḥ: fifth
• pañcamaḥ: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pañcama (प्रातिपदिक; क्रमवाचक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• vedaḥ: Veda
• vedaḥ: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: veda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• iti: thus
• iti: Vākyārtha-marker (Quotation/इति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/इति-समाप्ति-बोधक-अव्ययम् (quotative particle)

• brahmānuśāsanam: Brahmā’s injunction
• brahmānuśāsanam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahmā (ब्रह्मा, प्रातिपदिक) + anuśāsana (अनुशासन, प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (brahmaṇaḥ anuśāsanam); नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā Khaṇḍa (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā enthroned issues an anuśāsana: a scroll reading ‘Purāṇaḥ pañcamo vedaḥ’; below, sages arrange four Vedas and a fifth Purāṇa manuscript, symbolizing completeness of śāstric vision.

Characters & Entities

• Purāṇa
• Veda
• Brahmā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇas are not mere stories; they are Veda-like authorities for dharma, especially in practical guidance such as tīrtha and vrata.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific site; the verse establishes that Purāṇic descriptions of sacred places carry Veda-level weight within the tradition.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it is a doctrinal affirmation of Purāṇa as authoritative scripture.