Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

दर्शयन्तो मुनेः शक्तिं तमपृच्छन् द्विजोत्तमम् । श्रोतुमिच्छाम ते ब्रह्मन् किं पापं कृतवानसि

Transliteration

darśayanto muneḥ śaktiṃ tamapṛcchan dvijottamam | śrotumicchāma te brahman kiṃ pāpaṃ kṛtavānasi

Translation

In Anerkennung der Macht des Weisen befragten sie den Besten der Zweimalgeborenen: „O Brahmane, wir möchten hören: Welche Sünde hast du begangen?“

Word by Word

• दर्शयन्तः: showing
• दर्शयन्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्यय (वर्तमानकृदन्त/Present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; Parasmaipada; 'showing'

• मुनेः: of the sage
• मुनेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• शक्तिम्: power
• शक्तिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Pronoun; Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अपृच्छन्: asked
• अपृच्छन्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; Parasmaipada

• द्विजोत्तमम्: the best of the twice-born (brahmin)
• द्विजोत्तमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक); द्विजोत्तम (समस्तप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Masculine, Accusative, Singular; षष्ठी/तत्पुरुषार्थे 'द्विजानाम् उत्तमः'

• श्रोतुम्: to hear
• श्रोतुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्यय (infinitive), अव्ययभाव; 'to hear'

• इच्छामः: we wish
• इच्छामः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान/Present), उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचन; Parasmaipada

• ते: your
• ते: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Pronoun; Genitive, Singular

• ब्रह्मन्: O Brahmin
• ब्रह्मन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा, एकवचन; Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Interrogative pronoun; Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• कृतवान्: have done
• कृतवान्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्तवतु-प्रत्यय (परिपूर्णकृदन्त/Perfect participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Masculine, Nominative, Singular; 'having done'

• असि: you are
• असि: Kriya (Copula/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; Parasmaipada

Speaker

Narrator (contextually: Śrī Markaṇḍeya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā tīrtha sphere (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhārata (frame addressee)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A circle of sages, palms joined or in attentive posture, respectfully questioning a radiant dvijottama; subtle aura indicating the muni’s śakti.

Characters & Entities

• Dvijottama
• Munayaḥ

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Puranic storytelling often links visible suffering with karmic inquiry, inviting reflection on sin (pāpa) and purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā Khaṇḍa context remains the frame; this verse focuses on ethical questioning rather than a named site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it prepares for a confession/explanation that typically leads to expiatory guidance in subsequent verses.