Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

मया द्वादशसाहस्री संहिता या श्रुता पुरा । देवदेवस्य गदतः साम्प्रतं कथिता तव

Transliteration

mayā dvādaśasāhasrī saṃhitā yā śrutā purā | devadevasya gadataḥ sāmprataṃ kathitā tava

Translation

Die Sammlung von zwölftausend Versen, die ich einst vernahm—gesprochen vom Herrn der Götter—habe ich dir nun erzählt.

Word by Word

• मया: by me
• मया: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• द्वादशसाहस्री: of twelve thousand (verses)
• द्वादशसाहस्री: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वादश + साहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; संहिताम् इति विशेषण (qualifier)

• संहिता: compilation/saṃhitā
• संहिता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संहिता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• या: which
• या: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• श्रुता: was heard
• श्रुता: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रुत (कृदन्त; श्रु धातु)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; संहितायाः विधेय (predicate)

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (adverb of time)

• देवदेवस्य: of the God of gods
• देवदेवस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• गदतः: while (he) was speaking
• गदतः: Sambandha (Genitive attendant circumstance/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गदत् (कृदन्त; गद् धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; देवदेवस्य इति विशेषण-सम्बन्ध (genitive absolute-like: 'while speaking')

• साम्प्रतम्: now
• साम्प्रतम्: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साम्प्रतम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (now/at present)

• कथिता: has been narrated
• कथिता: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथित (कृदन्त; कथ् धातु)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; संहितायाः विधेय (predicate)

• तव: to/for you (of you)
• तव: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā/Narmadā-saṃhitā (context)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājā

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mārkaṇḍeya gestures to palm-leaf manuscripts, indicating a twelve-thousand-verse saṃhitā; a subtle divine aura suggests Devadeva as the original speaker.

Characters & Entities

• Deva-deva (Lord of gods)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred teachings are validated through lineage (śruti-like hearing and faithful retelling), emphasizing continuity and trustworthiness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse supports the broader Narmadā (Revā) māhātmya by asserting the pedigree of its revelation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; it underscores śravaṇa (hearing) and kathā (sacred narration) as meritorious modes of engagement.