Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

तव स्नेहात्प्रवक्ष्यामि पीडितो वार्द्धकेन तु । पूर्वं जातं महद्युद्धं रामरावणयोरपि

Transliteration

tava snehātpravakṣyāmi pīḍito vārddhakena tu | pūrvaṃ jātaṃ mahadyuddhaṃ rāmarāvaṇayorapi

Translation

Out of affection for you I shall relate it, though pressed by old age. In former times there arose a great battle, even between Rāma and Rāvaṇa.

Word by Word

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• स्नेहात्: from affection / due to affection
• स्नेहात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नेह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन

• प्रवक्ष्यामि: I will tell
• प्रवक्ष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-वच् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पीडितः: afflicted
• पीडितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पीड् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—क्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वार्द्धकेन: by old age
• वार्द्धकेन: Karana (Instrument/Cause/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वार्द्धक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha/Prayojaka (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/विरोधार्थक-निपात (but/indeed)

• पूर्वम्: formerly / earlier
• पूर्वम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक/अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

• जातम्: arisen/occurred
• जातम्: Kriya (Predicate participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—क्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अत्र ‘युद्धम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• महत्: great
• महत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• युद्धम्: battle
• युद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• रामरावणयोः: of Rāma and Rāvaṇa
• रामरावणयोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम + रावण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), द्विवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (रामश्च रावणश्च)

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha/Prayojaka (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अपेक्षार्थक-निपात (also/even)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Somavaṃśa-vibhūṣaṇa (lunar-dynasty prince/hero)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mārkaṇḍeya, visibly aged yet luminous, leans slightly as he begins recounting the ancient Rāma–Rāvaṇa war; the listener sits attentive, hands folded, with the riverbank setting quiet behind them.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Rāma
• Rāvaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha māhātmyas are anchored in sacred history; hearing them with faith is part of the pilgrim’s dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse introduces the narrative background for Hanūmateśvara on the Revā bank, soon to be detailed.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it initiates kathā-śravaṇa (hearing the sacred account) as the mode of transmission.