Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

रविरुवाच । यत्त्वया स्थापितं स्थानं तत्र ये संति ब्राह्मणाः । तेषां गुणान्मम ब्रूहि किंगुणा ननु ते द्विजाः

Transliteration

raviruvāca | yattvayā sthāpitaṃ sthānaṃ tatra ye saṃti brāhmaṇāḥ | teṣāṃ guṇānmama brūhi kiṃguṇā nanu te dvijāḥ

Translation

พระรวิ (สุริยะ) ตรัสว่า: ‘สถานศักดิ์สิทธิ์ที่ท่านได้สถาปนาไว้ ณ ที่นั้นมีพราหมณ์ผู้ใดพำนักอยู่ จงบอกคุณธรรมของเขาแก่เราเถิด พวกทวิชเหล่านั้นมีความดีประการใด?’

Word by Word

• raviḥ: Ravi (the Sun)
• raviḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ravi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्

• yat: which
• yat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; सम्बन्ध-प्रत्यय (relative pronoun)

• tvayā: by you
• tvayā: Karana (Agent/instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया, एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• sthāpitam: established
• sthāpitam: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √sthā (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्तः—क्त (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; (established/placed)

• sthānam: place
• sthānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sthāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक adverb)

• ye: who
• ye: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्; सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम

• santi: are
• santi: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः, प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्

• brāhmaṇāḥ: brāhmaṇas
• brāhmaṇāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्

• teṣām: of them
• teṣām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, बहुवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• guṇān: qualities
• guṇān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनम्

• mama: to me / for me
• mama: Sampradana (Beneficiary/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• brūhi: tell
• brūhi: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √brū (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकारः (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्

• kim-guṇāḥ: of what qualities
• kim-guṇāḥ: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kim + guṇa (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्; कर्मधारयः (किम्-गुणाः = what kind of qualities?)

• nanu: indeed / then
• nanu: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nanu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निश्चय/प्रश्न-प्रत्यवस्थापनार्थक particle: indeed/then)

• te: they
• te: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• dvijāḥ: twice-born (brāhmaṇas)
• dvijāḥ: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्

Speaker

Ravi / Bhāskara (Sūrya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nārada-sthāpita-sthāna (unnamed)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nārada

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Bhāskara, radiant and authoritative, asks Nārada to describe the virtues of the brāhmaṇas dwelling in the place Nārada founded; the focus shifts from travel to ethical portraiture.

Characters & Entities

• Ravi (Sūrya)
• Nārada
• Brāhmaṇas (Dwijas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A holy place is measured not only by geography but by the virtues of its residents—dharma embodied in community.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A ‘sthāna’ established by Nārada is referenced, but the specific name is not given in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is an inquiry into guṇas (virtues) and dharmic character.