Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

प्राधान्याच्चापि संक्षेपात्तीर्थान्युक्तानि ते मया । न शक्यो विस्तरः पार्थ श्रोतुं वक्तुं च वै मया

Transliteration

prādhānyāccāpi saṃkṣepāttīrthānyuktāni te mayā | na śakyo vistaraḥ pārtha śrotuṃ vaktuṃ ca vai mayā

Translation

হে পার্থ, প্রধান গুরুত্ব অনুসারে আমি তীর্থগুলির কথা সংক্ষেপে বলেছি; তাদের বিস্তার আমি সম্পূর্ণ বলতে পারি না, আর তা সম্পূর্ণ শোনাও সম্ভব নয়।

Word by Word

• प्राधान्यात्: due to importance
• प्राधान्यात्: Apadana (Cause/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राधान्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Ablative singular (because of importance)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: also/even)

• संक्षेपात्: from brevity / briefly
• संक्षेपात्: Apadana (Cause/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संक्षेप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Ablative singular (from brevity/briefly)

• तीर्थानि: holy places
• तीर्थानि: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; object of ‘उक्तानि’

• उक्तानि: have been stated
• उक्तानि: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उक्त (कृदन्त; √वच् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; predicative with implied ‘अस्ति’

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana (Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-रूप (enclitic), एकवचन; here दत्तिवाचक/सम्प्रदानार्थे (to you)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Agent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Instrumental singular (by me)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• शक्यः: possible
• शक्यः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शक्य (कृदन्त; √शक् (धातु) + यत्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; potential participle; agrees with ‘विस्तरः’

• विस्तरः: detailed exposition
• विस्तरः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विस्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• पार्थ: O Partha
• पार्थ: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Vocative singular

• श्रोतुम्: to hear
• श्रोतुम्: Prayojana (Purpose)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √श्रु (धातु) + तुमुन्
• Form: तुमुनन्त (infinitive), अव्ययवत्; ‘to hear’

• वक्तुम्: to speak
• वक्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु) + तुमुन्
• Form: तुमुनन्त (infinitive), अव्ययवत्; ‘to speak’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Agent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Instrumental singular (by me)

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya (implied, continuing instruction)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā tīrthas (collective)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira (addressed as Pārtha)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage (Mārkaṇḍeya) gestures over a scroll-map of riverbanks dotted with countless tīrthas fading into the horizon; Yudhiṣṭhira listens, conveying the sense of ‘too vast to tell’.

Characters & Entities

• Pārtha (Yudhiṣṭhira)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The greatness of tīrthas is vast; one should approach pilgrimage teachings with humility, receiving the essential guidance and practicing it.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse frames the broader Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha-tradition rather than praising a single named site in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed here; it explains that only a concise account of tīrthas is being given.