Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

कृष्णद्वैपायनाच्चैतन्मया प्राप्तं तपोधनाः । तदहं वच्मि युष्मभ्यं श्रोतुकामेभ्य आदरात्

Transliteration

kṛṣṇadvaipāyanāccaitanmayā prāptaṃ tapodhanāḥ | tadahaṃ vacmi yuṣmabhyaṃ śrotukāmebhya ādarāt

Translation

O ihr Schätze der Askese, von Kṛṣṇa-Dvaipāyana (Vyāsa) habe ich dies empfangen. Darum will ich es euch, die ihr zu hören begehrt, in Ehrfurcht darlegen.

Word by Word

• kṛṣṇa-dvaipāyanāt: from Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana (Vyāsa)
• kṛṣṇa-dvaipāyanāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛṣṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + dvaipāyana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान), एकवचन; संज्ञा, कर्मधारय-समासः (masculine, ablative singular)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• etat: this
• etat: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (pronoun, neuter sg)

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Karana (Instrument/Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (pronoun, instrumental singular)

• prāptam: obtained, received
• prāptam: Kriya (Result state/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prāpta (कृदन्त; √āp आप् प्राप्तौ, क्त; प्र-उपसर्ग)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि क्त (past passive participle, neuter sg)

• tapodhanāḥ: O ascetics rich in austerity
• tapodhanāḥ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक) + dhana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; बहुव्रीहि-समासः (तपो धनं येषां ते) (masculine, nominative plural; vocative sense by address)

• tat: that
• tat: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (pronoun, accusative singular)

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (pronoun, nominative singular)

• vacmi: I speak, I tell
• vacmi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु; वच् वचने)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (present indicative, 1st person singular)

• yuṣmabhyam: to you (all)
• yuṣmabhyam: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuṣmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (सम्प्रदान), बहुवचन (pronoun, dative plural)

• śrotu-kāmebhyaḥ: to those desiring to hear
• śrotu-kāmebhyaḥ: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śrotu (तुमुन्; √śru श्रवणे) + kāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; (श्रोतुं कामः) इति तत्पुरुष-समासः (masculine, dative plural)

• ādarāt: out of respect
• ādarāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ādara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (हेतु/अपादान), एकवचन (masculine, ablative singular; causal sense)

Speaker

Narrator/reciter within Ayodhyāmāhātmya (deductively: a Purāṇic narrator addressing sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ayodhyā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: tapodhanāḥ (sages)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The narrator, holding a manuscript, addresses ascetic sages called ‘tapodhanāḥ’; the posture is humble yet authoritative, signaling reverent transmission.

Characters & Entities

• Kṛṣṇa-Dvaipāyana (Vyāsa)
• Tapodhanas (ascetics/sages)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Teachings about holy places should be shared reverently with sincere seekers, honoring the source and the listeners.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ayodhyā is the implied subject; the verse frames the act of transmitting its māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; it emphasizes respectful narration and earnest listening.