Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

युधिष्ठिर उवाच । पितामह महाभाग कथयस्व प्रसादतः । उत्पत्तिरश्विनोश्चैव मृत्युलोके च तत्कथम्

Transliteration

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | pitāmaha mahābhāga kathayasva prasādataḥ | utpattiraśvinoścaiva mṛtyuloke ca tatkatham

Translation

Yudhiṣṭhira said: O revered Grandfather, O most fortunate one—out of compassion, please tell me: how did the Aśvin twins originate, and how did this come to be in the world of mortals?

Word by Word

• युधिष्ठिरः: Yudhiṣṭhira
• युधिष्ठिरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; संज्ञा

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• पितामह: O grandsire
• पितामह: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

• महाभाग: O greatly fortunate one
• महाभाग: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन; विशेषण; कर्मधारय-समास

• कथयस्व: tell (please)
• कथयस्व: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कथ् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ/Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• प्रसादतः: kindly; out of grace
• प्रसादतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रसाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb): ‘out of grace/ kindly’

• उत्पत्तिः: origin, birth
• उत्पत्तिः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्पत्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• अश्विनोः: of the two Aśvins
• अश्विनोः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्विन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), द्विवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• मृत्युलोके: in the mortal world
• मृत्युलोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक) + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (मृत्योः लोकः = world of mortals)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक (interrogative adverb: ‘how’)

Speaker

Yudhiṣṭhira

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pitāmaha (revered elder/teacher figure)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Yudhiṣṭhira, hands folded, respectfully questions the venerable Pitāmaha in a calm assembly; sages and a sacred fire may be present, indicating transmission of higher knowledge.

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Aśvinīkumāras

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Humble inquiry into sacred history is itself dharma; sincere questioning invites liberating knowledge.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it introduces a doctrinal narrative within Dharmāraṇya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a request for narration (śravaṇa) of a sacred account.