Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

यद्यशक्तः सदा श्रोतुं कथां पौराणिकीं नरः । मुहूर्तं वापि शृणुयान्नियतात्मा दिनेदिने

Transliteration

yadyaśaktaḥ sadā śrotuṃ kathāṃ paurāṇikīṃ naraḥ | muhūrtaṃ vāpi śṛṇuyānniyatātmā dinedine

Translation

若有人不能时时聆听《往世书》之叙事，则当摄心自持，日日至少聆听一段 muhūrta（短暂而神圣的时分）。

Word by Word

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Condition marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्त-सम्बन्धक (conditional particle)

• अशक्तः: unable
• अशक्तः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ + शक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषण

• सदा: always
• सदा: Adhikarana (Temporal locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• श्रोतुम्: to listen
• श्रोतुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु) → श्रोतुम् (तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: तुमुनन्त (infinitive/तुमर्थ), अव्ययभाव

• कथाम्: story
• कथाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• पौराणिकीम्: purāṇic
• पौराणिकीम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पौराणिकी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषण

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• मुहूर्तम्: for a muhūrta (a short time)
• मुहूर्तम्: Karma (Extent/कर्म-प्रवृत्ति)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुहूर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कालपरिमाण

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Alternative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक (disjunctive particle)

• अपि: even, also
• अपि: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अप्यर्थ (also/even)

• शृणुयात्: should listen
• शृणुयात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधि), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• नियतात्मा: self-controlled
• नियतात्मा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नियत + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (नियतः आत्मा यस्य/नियत-आत्मा)

• दिने: in a day
• दिने: Adhikarana (Temporal locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• दिने: day by day
• दिने: Adhikarana (Temporal locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन (पुनरुक्ति—वितरणार्थ)

Speaker

Narrator/Teacher within Brahmottara Khaṇḍa (contextual; not explicit in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Muhūrta-śravaṇa of Purāṇic kathā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A householder at dawn or dusk sits calmly with a manuscript or near a reciter, marking a short, focused interval; the rest of the household is quiet, suggesting niyata-ātman.

Characters & Entities

• Muhūrta
• Paurāṇikī kathā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even limited daily practice, done with discipline, is spiritually potent and recommended.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular place is named; the verse emphasizes time-based practice (daily muhūrta) rather than location-based merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Listen to the Purāṇic kathā daily; if not always possible, at least for one muhūrta each day with a regulated mind.