Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । श्रीभारत्यंघ्रियुगलं गणनाथपदद्वयम् । सर्वेषां चैव देवानां नमस्कृत्य वदाम्यहम्

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | śrībhāratyaṃghriyugalaṃ gaṇanāthapadadvayam | sarveṣāṃ caiva devānāṃ namaskṛtya vadāmyaham

Translation

苏多曰：“我先顶礼婆罗底（辩才天女）之圣足，顶礼群主（象头神）之双足，并礼敬一切天神，然后我将宣说。”

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta
• सूतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Speech act/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• श्रीभारत्यङ्घ्रियुगलम्: the pair of feet of Śrī Bhāratī
• श्रीभारत्यङ्घ्रियुगलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री-भारती-अङ्घ्रि-युगल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; समासः श्रीभारत्याः अङ्घ्रियोः युगलम् (pair of feet of revered Bhāratī/Sarasvatī)

• गणनाथपदद्वयम्: the two feet of Gaṇanātha
• गणनाथपदद्वयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण-नाथ-पद-द्वय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; समासः गणनाथस्य पदयोः द्वयम् (the two feet of Gaṇanātha/Gaṇeśa)

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• सर्वेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic/indeed)

• देवानाम्: of the gods
• देवानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• नमस्कृत्य: having saluted
• नमस्कृत्य: Kriya (Gerundial action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नमस्-√कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund): ‘having saluted’

• वदामि: I speak
• वदामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: ṛṣayaḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta rises slightly or bows, hands in añjali; above or behind him appear Sarasvatī with vīṇā and Gaṇeśa with modaka/ankusha, while other devas are envisioned as an unseen assembly receiving salutations.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Bhāratī (Sarasvatī)
• Gaṇanātha (Gaṇeśa)
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Begin sacred study and narration with reverent salutations—seeking clarity of speech (Sarasvatī) and removal of obstacles (Gaṇeśa).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified; this is a maṅgalācaraṇa to commence the Purāṇic telling.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An invocation/salutation (namaskāra) to deities before recitation is modeled.