Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

युधिष्ठिर उवाच । सावित्री का द्विजश्रेष्ठ कथं वाराध्यते बुधैः । प्रसन्ना वा वरं कं च ददाति कथयस्व मे

Transliteration

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | sāvitrī kā dvijaśreṣṭha kathaṃ vārādhyate budhaiḥ | prasannā vā varaṃ kaṃ ca dadāti kathayasva me

Translation

Yudhiṣṭhira sprach: Wer ist Sāvitrī, o Bester der Zweimalgeborenen? Wie verehren die Weisen sie? Wenn sie gnädig ist, welchen Segen gewährt sie? Sage es mir.

Word by Word

• युधिष्ठिरः: Yudhiṣṭhira
• युधिष्ठिरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सावित्री: Sāvitrī (the goddess/Mantra)
• सावित्री: Vishaya/Prashna (Topic of question/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सावित्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• का: who/what (is she)
• का: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम

• द्विजश्रेष्ठ: O best of the twice-born
• द्विजश्रेष्ठ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (द्विजानां श्रेष्ठः)

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नवाचक-क्रियाविशेषण (interrogative adverb)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक-निपात (disjunctive particle)

• आराध्यते: is worshipped
• आराध्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-राध् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• बुधैः: by the wise
• बुधैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• प्रसन्ना: pleased
• प्रसन्ना: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रसन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (सावित्र्याः)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक-निपात (disjunctive particle)

• वरम्: a boon
• वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• कम्: which (boon)
• कम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• ददाति: gives
• ददाति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• कथयस्व: tell
• कथयस्व: Kriya (Injunction/आज्ञा)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथय् (धातु; णिजन्त)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मे: to me / my
• मे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

Speaker

Yudhiṣṭhira

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha sphere

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mārkaṇḍeya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A royal sage-king Yudhiṣṭhira, seated respectfully, questions the venerable Mārkaṇḍeya about Sāvitrī—her nature, worship, and boons; a calm āśrama setting with riverine hints of Revā.

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Sāvitrī
• Dvijaśreṣṭha (Mārkaṇḍeya)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Right inquiry (praśna) is itself dharma—seeking the nature of a deity and proper worship before seeking results.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Sāvitrī-tīrtha is the context, though this verse is a question that introduces its māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse asks about ārādhana (proper worship) but does not yet specify the method.