Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 170

Devanagari script

अथवा गम्यतां विप्राश्चिरं जीव सुखी भव । वृद्धस्य वाक्यं तच्छ्रुत्वा वाडवाश्चैकमानसाः

Transliteration

athavā gamyatāṃ viprāściraṃ jīva sukhī bhava | vṛddhasya vākyaṃ tacchrutvā vāḍavāścaikamānasāḥ

Translation

‘ورنہ اے برہمنو، اپنے راستے چلے جاؤ؛ دیر تک جیو—سکھ سے رہو۔’ بزرگ کی یہ بات سن کر واڈو بھی ایک دل (متحد) ہو گئے۔

Word by Word

• अथवा: or else
• अथवा: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथवा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्प (disjunctive particle) = or/otherwise

• गम्यताम्: let (him/you) go
• गम्यताम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गम् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive): ‘let it be gone/let (you) go’

• विप्राः: O Brahmins
• विप्राः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन/प्रथमा (contextual address), बहुवचन

• चिरम्: for long
• चिरम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रयोग (adverbial accusative) = for a long time

• जीव: live
• जीव: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √जीव् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• सुखी: happy
• सुखी: Kriya (Predicate complement/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुखिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विधेयविशेषण (predicate adjective)

• भव: become/be
• भव: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• वृद्धस्य: of the old man
• वृद्धस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (of)

• वाक्यम्: the statement/words
• वाक्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; ‘that’ (referring to the words)

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund) = having heard

• वाडवाः: the vāḍavas (a group/people)
• वाडवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाडव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• एकमानसाः: of one mind/unanimous
• एकमानसाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक) + मानस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; ‘one-minded’

Speaker

Unspecified ‘vṛddha’ (elder) within the narrative

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas (viprāḥ) and the assembled Vāḍavas

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An elder speaks a calming benediction—‘Go on your way; live long; be happy’—and the Vāḍavas, previously divided, become united in purpose, their faces softening as tension dissolves.

Characters & Entities

• Vipra
• Vāḍava

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The counsel of elders can restore harmony; blessings and unity support dharma in times of tension.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; it is a concluding-type narrative movement within Dharmāraṇya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it contains a blessing and a description of unified resolve.