Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

युधिष्ठिर उवाच । जालेश्वरेऽपि यत्प्रोक्तं त्वया पूर्वं द्विजोत्तम । तत्कथं तु भवेत्पुण्यमृषिसिद्धनिषेवितम्

Transliteration

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | jāleśvare'pi yatproktaṃ tvayā pūrvaṃ dvijottama | tatkathaṃ tu bhavetpuṇyamṛṣisiddhaniṣevitam

Translation

যুধিষ্ঠিৰ ক’লে: হে দ্বিজোত্তম, জালেশ্বৰ বিষয়ে আপুনি আগতে যি কৈছিল, সেই পুণ্য কেনেকৈ উদ্ভৱ হয়—যি তীৰ্থ ঋষি আৰু সিদ্ধসকলে সেৱন কৰে?

Word by Word

• युधिष्ठिरः: Yudhiṣṭhira
• युधिष्ठिरः: Karta (Subject/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), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• जालेश्वरे: in/at Jāleśvara
• जालेश्वरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जालेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (स्थाननाम)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), ‘also/even’

• यत्: that which
• यत्: Karma/Pratipadya (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक-सर्वनाम

• प्रोक्तम्: said/declared
• प्रोक्तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु) → प्रोक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Kartr (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/सर्वनाम, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पूर्वम्: previously
• पूर्वम्: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्वम् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• द्विजोत्तम: O best of twice-born
• द्विजोत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—द्विजेषु उत्तमः (तत्पुरुष)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Pratipadya (Topic/प्रस्ताव्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; निर्देशवाचक

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नवाचक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha/Contrast (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (contrast/emphasis)

• भवेत्: would be
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• पुण्यम्: merit/holy (place/act)
• पुण्यम्: Karta/Pratipadya (Subject complement/प्रातिपदिक)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• ऋषिसिद्धनिषेवितम्: frequented/served by sages and siddhas
• ऋषिसिद्धनिषेवितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ऋषि + सिद्ध + निषेवित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—ऋषिभिः सिद्धैश्च निषेवितम् (समाहार-तत्पुरुष/बहु-उपपद-समास); निषेवित = नि + सेव् (धातु) भूतकृदन्त

Speaker

Yudhiṣṭhira

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Jāleśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dwijottama (contextually Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya as the responding sage in this narrative frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Yudhiṣṭhira, seated respectfully, questions a venerable brāhmaṇa-sage (dwijottama) about Jāleśvara; behind them, a forested hermitage atmosphere with subtle siddha silhouettes and a distant Śiva-liṅga shrine.

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Jāleśvara
• Ṛṣis
• Siddhas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A seeker should inquire into the origin and sanctity of holy places, not merely their promised results.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Jāleśvara, introduced as a tīrtha frequented by ṛṣis and siddhas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a question initiating the tīrtha’s origin narrative.