Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । अन्यदाख्यानकं वक्ष्ये पुरा वृत्तं नराधिप । सकुटुम्बो गतः स्वर्गं मुनिर्यत्र महातपाः

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | anyadākhyānakaṃ vakṣye purā vṛttaṃ narādhipa | sakuṭumbo gataḥ svargaṃ muniryatra mahātapāḥ

Translation

Īśvara sprach: O König, ich werde eine weitere alte Begebenheit erzählen. Sie handelt von jenem großen Muni, reich an Tapas, der dort an jenem heiligen Ort mitsamt seiner Familie den Himmel erlangte.

Word by Word

• ईश्वरः: Īśvara (Lord)
• ईश्वरः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

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

• अन्यत्: another
• अन्यत्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• आख्यानकम्: narrative/episode
• आख्यानकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आख्यानक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• वक्ष्ये: I shall tell
• वक्ष्ये: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple future); आत्मनेपद; उत्तम-पुरुष, एकवचन

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

• वृत्तम्: that occurred
• वृत्तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृत्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; भूतकाले घटितम् (that happened)

• नराधिप: O king (lord of men)
• नराधिप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर + अधिप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (men's lord)

• सकुटुम्बः: with (his) family
• सकुटुम्बः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + कुटुम्ब (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; अव्ययीभाव (सह-कुटुम्बः = with family)

• गतः: gone
• गतः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• स्वर्गम्: to heaven
• स्वर्गम्: Gati/Karma (Goal/गति-कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• मुनिः: sage
• मुनिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्थानवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• महातपाः: of great austerity
• महातपाः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (great-austerity)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Uttānapāda (explicitly addressed as narādhipa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva speaks to the king, promising an ancient tale; the backdrop hints at a sacred riverside where an austere sage with family is later shown ascending to heaven.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• narādhipa (king)
• muni (sage)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Holy places (tīrthas/kshetras) and great austerity, when joined with dharma, can uplift not only an individual but even one’s family.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse introduces a sacred location to be identified in the ensuing narration; it functions as a lead-in to the kṣetra-māhātmya of the episode.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is stated here; the verse sets up a māhātmya narrative about merit leading to heavenly attainment.