Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

सोऽपि मौनव्रतं कृत्वा बालभावाद्युधिष्ठिर । सर्वभूताभयं दत्त्वा चचार परमं व्रतम्

Transliteration

so'pi maunavrataṃ kṛtvā bālabhāvādyudhiṣṭhira | sarvabhūtābhayaṃ dattvā cacāra paramaṃ vratam

Translation

Auch er, o Yudhiṣṭhira, nahm von Kindheit an das Schweigegelübde auf sich; und indem er allen Wesen Furchtlosigkeit schenkte, übte er jenes höchste Gelübde.

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha/Particle (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle), समुच्चय/अपि-भाव (also/even)

• मौनव्रतम्: vow of silence
• मौनव्रतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मौन + व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मौनस्य व्रतम्)

• कृत्वा: having performed
• कृत्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial to main action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); अव्ययभाव; ‘having done’

• बालभावात्: from childhood/natural childish state
• बालभावात्: Apadana (Source/Cause/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल + भाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th case), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (बालस्य भावः); अपादान (ablative of cause/origin)

• युधिष्ठिर: O Yudhiṣṭhira
• युधिष्ठिर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th case), एकवचन; संबोधन-प्रयोग (vocative address)

• सर्वभूताभयम्: fearlessness for all beings
• सर्वभूताभयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + भूत + अभय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (सर्वेषां भूतानाम् अभयम्)

• दत्त्वा: having granted
• दत्त्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial to main action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); अव्ययभाव; ‘having given’

• चचार: he practiced/undertook
• चचार: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• परमम्: supreme
• परमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• व्रतम्: vow
• व्रतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha (contextual frame)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A youthful ascetic observing silence, calm-faced, right hand raised in abhaya-mudrā toward animals and people; a riverbank hermitage atmosphere suggesting Revā’s sanctity.

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśravaṇa (Kuvera)
• Yudhiṣṭhira

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerity joined with compassion—silence, self-control, and non-harm—forms a ‘supreme vow’ that elevates the soul.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Mauna-vrata (vow of silence) and abhayadāna (granting safety/fearlessness to beings) are praised as powerful disciplines.