Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 111

Devanagari script

लोमश उवाच । कथयामि पुरावृत्तमितिहासं पुरातनम् । नंदी नाम पुरा वैश्यो ह्यवंतीपुरमावसत्

Transliteration

lomaśa uvāca | kathayāmi purāvṛttamitihāsaṃ purātanam | naṃdī nāma purā vaiśyo hyavaṃtīpuramāvasat

Translation

Lomaśa sprach: Ich will eine uralte Begebenheit aus vergangenen Zeiten erzählen. Einst lebte ein Vaiśya namens Nandī, der in der Stadt Avantī (Ujjayinī) wohnte.

Word by Word

• लोमशः: Lomaśa (sage)
• लोमशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोमश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• कथयामि: I narrate / I will tell
• कथयामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथय् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• पुरावृत्तम्: anciently occurred, of old events
• पुरावृत्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुरा-वृत्त (प्रातिपदिक; पुरा + वृत्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (qualifier)

• इतिहासम्: legend, history
• इतिहासम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इतिहास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• पुरातनम्: ancient, old
• पुरातनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुरातन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (qualifier)

• नन्दी: Nandī (a person named Nandī)
• नन्दी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नन्दी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• नाम: by name
• नाम: Sambandha/Name-marker (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नाम-प्रयोगे (indeclinable used to indicate ‘by name’)

• पुरा: formerly, once
• पुरा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

• वैश्यः: a Vaiśya (merchant class man)
• वैश्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैश्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); जातिवाचक

• हि: indeed
• हि: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle, emphasis/indeed)

• अवन्तीपुरम्: the city of Avantī (Ujjayinī)
• अवन्तीपुरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवन्ती-पुर (प्रातिपदिक; अवन्ती + पुर)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); देश/नगरवाचक

• आवसत्: dwelt, lived
• आवसत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस् (धातु) उपसर्गः आ-
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

Speaker

Lomaśa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avantī (Ujjayinī)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A forest-hermitage narrative frame: sage Lomaśa seated, beginning an ancient tale; in the background, the city of Avantī with temple spires and the Shiprā suggested as a sacred urban landscape.

Characters & Entities

• Lomaśa
• Nandī
• Avantīpura
• Avantī (Ujjayinī/Ujjain)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic teaching often proceeds through ancient exemplars; the forthcoming story models Śiva devotion through a devotee’s life.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Avantīpura (Ujjayinī/Ujjain) is explicitly mentioned; the broader narrative remains within Kedārakhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse introduces an instructive legend (itihāsa) about a devotee.