Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

कथानकैः स्तुवत्यन्ये तस्य शूलाग्रधारिणः । अष्टाशीतिसहस्राणि स्नातकानां तपस्विनाम्

Transliteration

kathānakaiḥ stuvatyanye tasya śūlāgradhāriṇaḥ | aṣṭāśītisahasrāṇi snātakānāṃ tapasvinām

Translation

Andere priesen Ihn—den Träger der Tridentspitze—mit heiligen Erzählungen. Dort waren achtundachtzigtausend Snātakas, asketische, in heiliger Lehre geschulte Disziplinierte.

Word by Word

• कथानकैः: with stories/episodes
• कथानकैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथानक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन

• स्तुवति: praises
• स्तुवति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्तु (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• अन्ये: others
• अन्ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• शूल: trident/spear
• शूल: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक; समासपूर्वपद (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषे ‘शूलस्य’ इत्यर्थे)

• अग्र: tip/point
• अग्र: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक; समासमध्यपद (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषे ‘अग्रस्य’ इत्यर्थे)

• धारिणः: of the bearer
• धारिणः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धारिन् (कृदन्त; √धृ (धातु) + णिनि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; ‘धारिन्’ = धारयिता (holder)

• अष्ट: eight
• अष्ट: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्टन् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक; समासपूर्वपद (द्विगु-समासे)

• अशीतिः: eighty
• अशीतिः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अशीतिः (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, संख्या; समासमध्यपद (द्विगु-समासे)

• सहस्राणि: thousands
• सहस्राणि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• स्नातकानाम्: of the स्नातक-s (graduates/ritually bathed)
• स्नातकानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नातक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन

• तपस्विनाम्: of ascetics
• तपस्विनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस्विन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (unspecified)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A large congregation of ascetic snātakas—matted hair or neatly bound locks, sacred threads, waterpots—reciting and praising the trident-bearing Lord through sacred narratives; the atmosphere is reverent and scholarly.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Praise of Śiva through sacred narrative and the presence of disciplined ascetics underscores the power of devotion, learning, and tapas in a tīrtha setting.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Narmadā riverbank sacred region, within the gathering at/near Māṇḍavya’s āśrama.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit prescription; it highlights stuti (praise) and the disciplined life of snātakas and tapasvins.