Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

दधिस्कन्दं मधुस्कन्दं यावत्त्यक्त्वा तु गच्छति । तावत्तुष्टो महादेवो नन्दिनाथमुवाच ह

Transliteration

dadhiskandaṃ madhuskandaṃ yāvattyaktvā tu gacchati | tāvattuṣṭo mahādevo nandināthamuvāca ha

Translation

وبينما كان يمضي قُدُمًا تاركًا وراءه المواضع المقدّسة المعروفة بدادهي-سكاندا ومادهو-سكاندا، سُرَّ مهاديڤا بهذه المثابرة، فخاطب ناندي، خادمه الأوّل.

Word by Word

• दधिस्कन्दम्: Dadhiskanda (name/place)
• दधिस्कन्दम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दधि + स्कन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• मधुस्कन्दम्: Madhuskanda (name/place)
• मधुस्कन्दम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मधु + स्कन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• यावत्: as long as / until
• यावत्: Sambandha (Correlation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय/सम्बन्धशब्द)
• Form: परिमाण/अवधिवाचक अव्यय (as long as/so far as)

• त्यक्त्वा: having left
• त्यक्त्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव

• तु: then/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अन्वयार्थक अव्यय (particle)

• गच्छति: goes
• गच्छति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• तावत्: then / for that long
• तावत्: Sambandha (Correlation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तावत् (अव्यय/सम्बन्धशब्द)
• Form: परिमाण/अवधिवाचक अव्यय (so long/then)

• तुष्टः: pleased
• तुष्टः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तुष्ट (प्रातिपदिक; √तुष्-क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘महादेवः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• महादेवः: Mahādeva (Śiva)
• महादेवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• नन्दिनाथम्: lord Nandī / Nandī’s master (addressed person)
• नन्दिनाथम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नन्दि + नाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• ह: indeed
• ह: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह (अव्यय)
• Form: वृत्तान्तसूचक अव्यय (narrative particle)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator within Revā-khaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dadhiskanda; Madhuskanda

Type: tirtha

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (rājendra)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A journey montage: Nandī passes sign-like markers or small shrines labeled Dadhiskanda and Madhuskanda; above, Mahādeva observes with growing satisfaction, preparing to speak.

Characters & Entities

• Dadhiskanda
• Madhuskanda
• Mahādeva (Śiva)
• Nandī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Steadfast continuation in pilgrimage and discipline draws divine grace; Śiva is pleased by sincere perseverance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Tīrthas named Dadhiskanda and Madhuskanda, presented as stations within the Revā pilgrimage circuit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Continuing tīrtha-yātrā with resolve—moving through multiple sacred sites as an act of devotion.