Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 111

Devanagari script

युधिष्ठिर उवाच । इतिहासं द्विजश्रेष्ठ कथयस्व ममानघ । सर्वपापहरं लोके दुःखार्तस्य च कथ्यताम्

Transliteration

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | itihāsaṃ dvijaśreṣṭha kathayasva mamānagha | sarvapāpaharaṃ loke duḥkhārtasya ca kathyatām

Translation

قال يودهيشثيرا: يا أفضلَ البرهمنة، يا من لا دنسَ له، حدِّثني بذلك التاريخ المقدّس الذي يمحو في العالم كلَّ الآثام؛ ولْيُروَ أيضًا لمن أثقلَه الحزنُ والألم.

Word by Word

• युधिष्ठिरः: Yudhiṣṭhira
• युधिष्ठिरः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• इतिहासम्: the story; legend
• इतिहासम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इतिहास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• द्विजश्रेष्ठ: O best of Brahmins
• द्विजश्रेष्ठ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (द्विजानां श्रेष्ठः)

• कथयस्व: tell
• कथयस्व: Kriya (Command/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मम: for me; of me
• मम: Sampradana/Beneficiary (for me/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अनघ: O sinless one
• अनघ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनघ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सर्वपापहरम्: removing all sins
• सर्वपापहरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + पाप + हर (प्रातिपदिक; हर = √हृ ‘to take away’)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (सर्वाणि पापानि हरति इति)

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikarana (Sphere/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दुःखार्तस्य: of one afflicted by sorrow
• दुःखार्तस्य: Sambandha (of the afflicted/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुःख + आर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (दुःखेन आर्तः)

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

• कथ्यताम्: let it be told
• कथ्यताम्: Kriya (Request/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative/benedictive sense in passive), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

Speaker

Yudhiṣṭhira

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā/Narmadā māhātmya (requested)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mārkaṇḍeya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Yudhiṣṭhira, burdened by sorrow, respectfully petitions Mārkaṇḍeya to narrate a sin-destroying sacred history; the sage’s calm presence contrasts the king’s inner grief.

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Dvijaśreṣṭha (Mārkaṇḍeya)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Listening to sacred tīrtha-histories (tīrtha-māhātmya/itihāsa) is upheld as a remedy for sin and sorrow, strengthening dharma and hope.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The request concerns the Narmadā/Revā tīrtha narrative introduced just before.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śravaṇa (devout listening) and kathā (narration) of a sarvapāpa-hara itihāsa are implied as spiritually beneficial practices.