Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 72

Devanagari script

मुहूर्तं तत्र विश्रम्य केशवो वाक्यमब्रवीत् । किमागमनकार्यं वो ब्रूत सर्वं द्विजोत्तमाः

Transliteration

muhūrtaṃ tatra viśramya keśavo vākyamabravīt | kimāgamanakāryaṃ vo brūta sarvaṃ dvijottamāḥ

Translation

Nachdem Keśava dort einen Augenblick geruht hatte, sprach er: „Was ist der Zweck eures Kommens? Sagt mir alles, o Beste der Zweimalgeborenen.“

Word by Word

• मुहूर्तम्: for a moment
• मुहूर्तम्: Kriya-viseshana (Temporal adjunct)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुहूर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (प्रयोगे नपुंसकवत्), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; कालावधि (extent of time)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (locative adverb)

• विश्रम्य: having rested
• विश्रम्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वि√श्रम् (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund)

• केशवः: Keśava
• केशवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केशव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• वाक्यम्: speech/words
• वाक्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• अब्रवीत्: said
• अब्रवीत्: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• आगमनकार्यं: the purpose of (your) coming
• आगमनकार्यं: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आगमन-कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘आगमनस्य कार्यम्’ (purpose of coming)

• वः: to you / of you
• वः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-एकवचनस्य बहुवचन-रूपम् (Genitive/Dative plural enclitic); ‘of you/to you’

• ब्रूत: tell (you all)
• ब्रूत: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• सर्वम्: everything
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; ‘सम्पूर्णम्’

• द्विजोत्तमाः: O best of the twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विजोत्तमाः: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज-उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सम्बोधनार्थे (vocative sense though form = nominative plural)

Speaker

Keśava (Kṛṣṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīra (contextual)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Keśava pauses by the roadside, composed and radiant, addressing a gathered group of brāhmaṇas with open-palmed gesture of inquiry; attendants and the road recede behind.

Characters & Entities

• Keśava (Kṛṣṇa)
• Dvijottamas (Brahmins)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma includes respectful attention to brāhmaṇas and clear inquiry into their needs and intentions.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The larger passage connects to the route toward Dvāravatī (Dvārakā), though this verse itself is a dialogue moment.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it models courteous reception and dialogue with holy persons.