Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

मनुं प्रणम्य शिरसा पृच्छाम्येतद्युधिष्ठिर । केयं पद्मपलाशाक्षी श्यामा चंद्रनिभानना

Transliteration

manuṃ praṇamya śirasā pṛcchāmyetadyudhiṣṭhira | keyaṃ padmapalāśākṣī śyāmā caṃdranibhānanā

Translation

হে যুধিষ্ঠির! আমি শির নত করে মনুকে প্রণাম করে জিজ্ঞাসা করি—এই পদ্মপলাশ-নয়না, শ্যামবর্ণা, চন্দ্রসম মুখমণ্ডলধারিণী নারী কে?

Word by Word

• manum: Manu
• manum: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• praṇamya: having bowed
• praṇamya: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pra-ṇam (धातु) ल्यप् (अव्ययीभाव/कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund): ‘having bowed’

• śirasā: with (my) head
• śirasā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiras (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• pṛcchāmi: I ask
• pṛcchāmi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prach (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• etat: this
• etat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• yudhiṣṭhira: O Yudhiṣṭhira
• yudhiṣṭhira: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yudhiṣṭhira (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• kā: who?
• kā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• iyam: this (woman)
• iyam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; निर्देशवाचक

• padma-palāśa-akṣī: lotus-leaf-eyed
• padma-palāśa-akṣī: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: padma (प्रातिपदिक) + palāśa (प्रातिपदिक) + akṣī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• śyāmā: dark-complexioned
• śyāmā: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śyāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• candra-nibhā-ananā: moon-like-faced
• candra-nibhā-ananā: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: candra (प्रातिपदिक) + nibhā (प्रातिपदिक) + ananā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; उपमान-तत्पुरुषः (चन्द्रनिभम् आननं यस्याः)

Speaker

Yudhiṣṭhira (as named within the verse-context address)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Manu (in the recalled episode); Yudhiṣṭhira (in present narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mārkaṇḍeya bows with head lowered before Manu, then raises his gaze to ask about the dark, lotus-eyed, moon-faced lady.

Characters & Entities

• Manu
• Yudhiṣṭhira

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverence (praṇāma) and sincere inquiry are presented as the proper doorway to receiving purāṇic wisdom about sacred beings and places.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā/Narmadā sacred landscape is the broader setting; this verse introduces the identity of a divine presence tied to that māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the implied practice is respectful salutation to elders/sages before questioning.