Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

इतिहासपुराणानि धर्मशास्त्राणि संततम् । अवलोकय वेदांतं वेदांगानि तथा पुनः

Transliteration

itihāsapurāṇāni dharmaśāstrāṇi saṃtatam | avalokaya vedāṃtaṃ vedāṃgāni tathā punaḥ

Translation

จงศึกษาคัมภีร์อิติหาสะและปุราณะ ตลอดจนธรรมศาสตราอยู่เสมอ; และพิจารณาเวทานตะ รวมทั้งเวทางคะทั้งหลายอีกด้วย.

Word by Word

• इतिहासपुराणानि: the epics and purāṇas
• इतिहासपुराणानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इतिहास-पुराण (प्रातिपदिक; इतिहास + पुराण)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; इतिहासनां च पुराणानां च समाहार-द्वन्द्व

• धर्मशास्त्राणि: dharma-texts
• धर्मशास्त्राणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म-शास्त्र (प्रातिपदिक; धर्म + शास्त्र)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (धर्मस्य शास्त्राणि)

• संततम्: constantly
• संततम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: संतत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण अव्ययीभूतम् (adverb: continually)

• अवलोकय: study/observe
• अवलोकय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव√लोक् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• वेदान्तम्: Vedānta
• वेदान्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद-अन्त (प्रातिपदिक; वेद + अन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (वेदस्य अन्तः/वेदान्तः)

• वेदाङ्गानि: the Vedāṅgas
• वेदाङ्गानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद-अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक; वेद + अङ्ग)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (वेदस्य अङ्गानि)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb/conjunction: likewise)

• पुनः: again, further
• पुनः: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरावृत्तिवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: again/further)

Speaker

Unspecified in excerpt (Setukhaṇḍa instructional discourse; likely Skanda narrating dharma to a listener)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setukṣetra (Setu)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A seated teacher with palm-leaf manuscripts; students reading Itihāsa–Purāṇa, Dharmaśāstra, and Vedānta; in the background a coastal shrine silhouette indicating Setu’s setting.

Characters & Entities

• Itihāsa
• Purāṇa
• Dharmaśāstra
• Vedānta
• Vedāṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is strengthened by disciplined scriptural study—Purāṇas and Itihāsas supported by Dharmaśāstra, Vedānta, and the Vedāṅgas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Setukhaṇḍa setting ties these instructions to Setu-kṣetra (Rāmeśvaram/Setu region), presenting learning as part of sacred living in a tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No single ritual is prescribed; the practice is śāstra-adhyayana—regular study of authoritative texts.