Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

वायोः सकाशात्स्कन्देन श्रुतमेतत्पुरातनम् । वसिष्ठः श्रुतवांस्तस्मात्पराशरस्ततः परम्

Transliteration

vāyoḥ sakāśātskandena śrutametatpurātanam | vasiṣṭhaḥ śrutavāṃstasmātparāśarastataḥ param

Translation

This ancient Purāṇa was heard by Skanda from Vāyu. From him Vasiṣṭha heard it, and thereafter Parāśara heard it in turn.

Word by Word

• वायोः: of/from Vāyu
• वायोः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• सकाशात्: from (the presence of)
• सकाशात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सकाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; पञ्चमी-अर्थे (ablatival adverb) ‘from the presence of’

• स्कन्देन: by Skanda
• स्कन्देन: Kartr-karana (Agent-instrument/कर्तृ-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्कन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• श्रुतम्: heard
• श्रुतम्: Kriya (Predicative/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रु (धातु) → श्रुत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (पुरातनम्)

• पुरातनम्: ancient
• पुरातनम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुरातन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (एतत्/श्रुतम्)

• वसिष्ठः: Vasiṣṭha
• वसिष्ठः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• श्रुतवान्: heard (has heard)
• श्रुतवान्: Kriya (Predicative/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु) → श्रुतवत् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्तवतु-प्रत्ययान्त (perfect participle, active) ‘having heard’ (विधेय-प्रयोगः)

• तस्मात्: from him/therefrom
• तस्मात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/सर्वनाम, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• पराशरः: Parāśara
• पराशरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पराशर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• ततः: then/from him
• ततः: Sambandha (Sequence/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रम/अपादानार्थक (then/from there)

• परम्: further/after that
• परम्: Sambandha (Sequence/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय-प्रयोगः (adverbial accusative) ‘further/afterwards’

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nareśvara and ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic chain of teachers: Vāyu as a radiant deva imparting to youthful Skanda; Skanda then instructing Vasiṣṭha; Vasiṣṭha passing to Parāśara—shown as vignettes or a single composition with four nodes.

Characters & Entities

• Vāyu
• Skanda
• Vasiṣṭha
• Parāśara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇa is safeguarded through paramparā—hearing and faithfully transmitting is itself a dharmic responsibility.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None explicitly; the focus is on lineage rather than a geographic māhātmya in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śravaṇa and transmission (listening and teaching) are implied as the method of preservation.