Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मणा ऊचुः । दुर्योधन महाराज श्रूयतां महदद्भुतम् । न श्रुतं न च दृष्टं वा कौतुकं नृपपुंगव

Transliteration

brāhmaṇā ūcuḥ | duryodhana mahārāja śrūyatāṃ mahadadbhutam | na śrutaṃ na ca dṛṣṭaṃ vā kautukaṃ nṛpapuṃgava

Translation

Die Brahmanen sprachen: „O Mahārāja Duryodhana, höre ein großes Wunder: ein erstaunliches Geschehen, weder je gehört noch gesehen, o Stier unter den Königen.“

Word by Word

• ब्राह्मणाः: the brahmins
• ब्राह्मणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st) बहुवचन

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd); बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• दुर्योधन: O Duryodhana
• दुर्योधन: Sambodhana (Vocative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्योधन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (8th) एकवचन

• महाराज: O great king
• महाराज: Sambodhana (Vocative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (अव्यय/उपसर्गवत्) + राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (महान् राजा); पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (8th) एकवचन

• श्रूयताम्: let it be heard
• श्रूयताम्: Kriyā (Injunctive/command)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd); एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive sense: ‘let it be heard’)

• महत्: great
• महत्: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd) एकवचन; विशेषण (of ‘अद्भुतम्’)

• अद्भुतम्: a wonder, marvel
• अद्भुतम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अद्भुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd) एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय

• श्रुतम्: heard
• श्रुतम्: Kriyā (Predicate nominal)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु) → श्रुत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st) एकवचन; विधेय (predicate)

• न: nor
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय

• दृष्टम्: seen
• दृष्टम्: Kriyā (Predicate nominal)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) → दृष्ट (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st) एकवचन; विधेय

• वा: or
• वा: Vikalpa (Alternative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक (or)

• कौतुकम्: marvel, astonishing event
• कौतुकम्: Karta (Subject: ‘this marvel’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौतुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st) एकवचन; विधेय (subject-complement)

• नृपपुंगव: O best of kings
• नृपपुंगव: Sambodhana (Vocative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक) + पुंगव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (best of kings); पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (8th) एकवचन

Speaker

Brāhmaṇas (explicit)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra (Narmadā region)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Outer ṛṣi audience; inner dialogue is brāhmaṇas addressing King Duryodhana

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brāhmaṇas stand before King Duryodhana, hands joined, announcing a great marvel never seen or heard; the court listens in suspense.

Characters & Entities

• Duryodhana
• Brāhmaṇas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Extraordinary disruptions in sacred rites are treated as dharmic alarms requiring the ruler’s attention and corrective action.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tirtha is identified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse introduces a report about an unprecedented event affecting ritual practice.