Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

धर्मपुत्रवचः श्रुत्वा मार्कण्डेयो मुनीश्वरः । स्मितं कृत्वा बभाषे तां कथां पापप्रणाशनीम्

Transliteration

dharmaputravacaḥ śrutvā mārkaṇḍeyo munīśvaraḥ | smitaṃ kṛtvā babhāṣe tāṃ kathāṃ pāpapraṇāśanīm

Translation

Als Mārkaṇḍeya, der Herr der Munis, die Worte Dharmaputras vernommen hatte, lächelte er und sprach dann jene heilige Erzählung, die Sünde vernichtet.

Word by Word

• धर्मपुत्रवचः: the words of Dharmaputra (Yudhiṣṭhira)
• धर्मपुत्रवचः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्मपुत्र + वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्मपद (श्रुत्वा इत्यस्य)

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √श्रु (धातु) + त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); “having heard”

• मार्कण्डेयः: Mārkaṇḍeya
• मार्कण्डेयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्तृपद

• मुनीश्वरः: lord of sages
• मुनीश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; अप्पोजिशन/विशेष्य

• स्मितम्: a smile
• स्मितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्मित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म (कृत्वा इत्यस्य)

• कृत्वा: having made; having done
• कृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु) + त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); “having done”

• बभाषे: spoke
• बभाषे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भाष् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• ताम्: that
• ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (कथाम्)

• कथाम्: story; account
• कथाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्मपद

• पापप्रणाशनीम्: sin-destroying
• पापप्रणाशनीम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप + प्रणाशिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (कथाम्)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator introducing Mārkaṇḍeya’s reply)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kathā (within Revā Khaṇḍa)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka (frame, implied) / audience of sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mārkaṇḍeya, serene and smiling, begins a sacred tale before Yudhiṣṭhira; disciples sit around, palm-leaf texts and a small fire altar nearby, indicating transmission of a sin-destroying kathā.

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Mārkaṇḍeya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Hearing and sharing sacred Purāṇic history is presented as a means to purify sin and strengthen dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse frames a purifying narration within the Revā Khaṇḍa setting but does not name a specific tīrtha in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, kathā-śravaṇa (listening to sacred narration) is recommended as spiritually purifying.