Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

एतदेव पुरा प्रश्नं गौर्या पृष्टस्तु शङ्करः । प्रोवाच नृपशार्दूल गुह्याद्गुह्यतरं शुभम्

Transliteration

etadeva purā praśnaṃ gauryā pṛṣṭastu śaṅkaraḥ | provāca nṛpaśārdūla guhyādguhyataraṃ śubham

Translation

এই একই প্রশ্ন একদা গৌরী শঙ্করকে করেছিলেন; আর হে নৃপশার্দূল, তিনি গোপনেরও অধিক গোপন, মঙ্গলময় রহস্য প্রকাশ করেছিলেন।

Word by Word

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Emphasis/Restriction (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निपात (restrictive particle)

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

• प्रश्नम्: question
• प्रश्नम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रश्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• गौर्या: by Gaurī (Pārvatī)
• गौर्या: Karana (करण/Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गौरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• पृष्टः: was asked
• पृष्टः: Karta (कर्ता; 'he who was asked')
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रच्छ् (धातु) + त (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकृत्/क्त (Past Passive Participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधान/विरोधसूचक निपात (contrastive particle)

• शङ्करः: Śaṅkara
• शङ्करः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शङ्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रोवाच: replied/said forth
• प्रोवाच: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद; उपसर्ग: प्र-

• नृपशार्दूल: O tiger among kings
• नृपशार्दूल: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप-शार्दूल (प्रातिपदिक; नृप + शार्दूल)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• गुह्यात्: than (what is) secret
• गुह्यात्: Apadana (अपादान/Source; 'than secret')
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुह्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन (Singular)

• गुह्यतरम्: more secret
• गुह्यतरम्: Karma (कर्म/Object; said thing)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुह्यतर (प्रातिपदिक; गुह्य + तरप्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); तुलनात्मक (comparative)

• शुभम्: auspicious
• शुभम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषणम्

Speaker

Narrator (contextual voice addressing a king)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: The king (nṛpaśārdūla)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Gaurī questions Śaṅkara in a secluded Himalayan-like grove; Śiva responds with a gesture of disclosure, suggesting a secret about a powerful tīrtha.

Characters & Entities

• Gaurī (Pārvatī)
• Śaṅkara (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred knowledge about tīrthas is portrayed as a divine secret, revealed through devotion and proper inquiry.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse introduces a forthcoming revelation connected to the Revā (Narmadā) region, elaborated in the next verses.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed here; it frames the disclosure of a tīrtha-rahasya.