Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

किं त्वयाश्चर्यभूतं हि दृष्टं च भ्रमतानघ । एतदाचक्ष्व भगवन्परं कौतूहलं हि मे

Transliteration

kiṃ tvayāścaryabhūtaṃ hi dṛṣṭaṃ ca bhramatānagha | etadācakṣva bhagavanparaṃ kautūhalaṃ hi me

Translation

Welch wunderbares Zeichen sahst du auf deiner Wanderschaft, o Schuldloser? Verkünde es mir, ehrwürdiger Weiser; denn mein Verlangen zu wissen ist überaus groß.

Word by Word

• kim: what
• kim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक

• tvayā: by you
• tvayā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• āścaryabhūtam: something wondrous
• āścaryabhūtam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: āścarya (प्रातिपदिक) + bhūta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (आश्चर्यं भूतम् = अद्भुतम्)

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• dṛṣṭam: seen
• dṛṣṭam: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dṛś (धातु) → dṛṣṭa (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘seen’ (qualifying kim/āścaryabhūtam)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• bhramatā: while wandering
• bhramatā: Karana (Attendant circumstance/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhram (धातु) → bhramat (शतृ/वर्तमान कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ); पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; ‘while wandering’ (instrumental of attendant circumstance)

• anagha: O sinless one
• anagha: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anagha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• etat: this
• etat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• ācakṣva: tell (me)
• ācakṣva: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā + cakṣ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative); मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person); एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• bhagavan: O Lord
• bhagavan: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhagavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• param: great, intense
• param: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (कौतूहलम्)

• kautūhalam: curiosity
• kautūhalam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kautūhala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• me: my
• me: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन (enclitic)

Speaker

Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A respectful interlocutor addressing a venerable sage-traveler: seated in an āśrama or riverbank setting, hands in añjali, asking about wondrous sights seen during pilgrimage-wandering.

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverent inquiry (praśna) is a doorway to Purāṇic wisdom; eagerness to hear sacred accounts supports Dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it functions as an invitation to a forthcoming tīrtha-centered narration in Revā Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it requests narration.