Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

चेटीपुत्रेति मामेते कि भणंति सरीसृपाः । सर्वमेतद्वद त्वं मे मातस्तत्त्वेन पृच्छतः

Transliteration

ceṭīputreti māmete ki bhaṇaṃti sarīsṛpāḥ | sarvametadvada tvaṃ me mātastattvena pṛcchataḥ

Translation

“เหตุใดสัตว์เลื้อยคลานเหล่านี้จึงเรียกเราว่า ‘บุตรแห่งนางทาสี’? แม่เอ๋ย เราถามด้วยใจจริง—จงบอกความจริงทั้งหมดแก่เราเถิด”

Word by Word

• चेटीपुत्र: O son of the maidservant
• चेटीपुत्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चेटी-पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक; चेटी + पुत्र)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/इत्यर्थक अव्यय (quotative particle)

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• एते: these
• एते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक

• भणन्ति: say/speak
• भणन्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भण् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• सरीसृपाः: reptiles/snakes
• सरीसृपाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरीसृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• सर्वम्: everything
• सर्वम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karman (Apposition/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• वद: tell
• वद: Kriya (Command/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपदम्, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Agent addressed/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• मे: to me / my
• मे: Sampradana (To me/recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; enclitic form

• मातः: O mother
• मातः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• तत्त्वेन: in truth / truly
• तत्त्वेन: Karana (Manner/means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• पृच्छतः: of (me) asking / as I ask
• पृच्छतः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान कृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; used with ‘मे’ = ‘of me who am asking’

Speaker

Garuḍa

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis / dvijāḥ audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close-up dramatic moment: serpents sneer ‘chēṭīputra’; Garuḍa turns away from them and appeals to Vinatā for the truthful account, his posture controlled, eyes intense; Vinatā prepares to reveal the hidden history.

Characters & Entities

• Garuḍa
• Vinatā
• Nāgas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Truth-seeking is dharma: understanding the real cause of humiliation and bondage is the first step toward liberation and right action.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the verse is part of the Setukhaṇḍa narrative leading toward later sacred-geography framing.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.