Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

वायसावूचतुः । सुन्दोपसुन्दयोः पुत्रावावां काकत्वमागतौ । मा वधीस्त्वं महाभाग कस्मिंश्चित्कारणान्तरे

Transliteration

vāyasāvūcatuḥ | sundopasundayoḥ putrāvāvāṃ kākatvamāgatau | mā vadhīstvaṃ mahābhāga kasmiṃścitkāraṇāntare

Translation

Die zwei Krähen sprachen: „Wir sind die Söhne von Sunda und Upasunda und sind in den Zustand des Krähen-Daseins gelangt. Töte uns nicht, o glückbegünstigter König; dahinter steht ein bestimmter Grund.“

Word by Word

• वायसौ: the two crows
• वायसौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, द्विवचन

• ऊचतुः: said (the two)
• ऊचतुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, द्विवचन

• सुन्दोपसुन्दयोः: of Sunda and Upasunda
• सुन्दोपसुन्दयोः: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुन्द + उपसुन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), द्विवचन; समासः द्वन्द्व (सुन्दः च उपसुन्दः च)

• पुत्रौ: sons (two)
• पुत्रौ: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition to subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, द्विवचन

• आवाम्: we two
• आवाम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, द्विवचन

• काकत्वम्: crow-ness; the state of being crows
• काकत्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काकत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आगतौ: have attained / have come to
• आगतौ: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate to subject)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आगत (कृदन्त; आ+गम् धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, द्विवचन; कर्तरि ‘having come/attained’

• मा: do not
• मा: Pratiṣedha (Prohibition)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (prohibitive particle used with injunctive/aorist)

• वधीः: kill
• वधीः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वध् (धातु)
• Form: लुङ्-लकार (Aorist/Injunctive), मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन; मा-योगे निषेधार्थ

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• महाभाग: O fortunate one
• महाभाग: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाभाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारय (महान् भागः यस्य)

• कस्मिंश्चित्: in some
• कस्मिंश्चित्: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + चित् (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; अनिश्चितार्थ (indefinite: in some)

• कारणान्तरे: in another circumstance/reason
• कारणान्तरे: Adhikaraṇa (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण + अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुष (कारणस्य अन्तरम्)

Speaker

The two crows (vāyasau)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: The king (within the story); outer listener is Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two crows speak with human-like awareness, pleading: they reveal themselves as sons of Sunda and Upasunda, explaining their crow-form and asking the king to refrain from killing due to a hidden cause.

Characters & Entities

• Sunda
• Upasunda
• Vāyasa (crows)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Outer form can conceal inner identity; Purāṇic stories often reveal karmic causes behind transformations.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the episode supports the broader Revā Khaṇḍa māhātmya framework.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a plea explaining karmic circumstance.