Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

कथं द्यूतजिताः पार्था मम पूर्वपितामहाः । आसमुद्रां महीं विप्र भ्रमन्तस्तीर्थलोभतः

Transliteration

kathaṃ dyūtajitāḥ pārthā mama pūrvapitāmahāḥ | āsamudrāṃ mahīṃ vipra bhramantastīrthalobhataḥ

Translation

¿Cómo los Pārthas —mis antepasados, vencidos en el juego de dados— vagaron, oh brāhmaṇa, por la tierra hasta los mares que la ciñen, movidos por el anhelo de los lugares santos?

Word by Word

• कथम्: how?
• कथम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (interrogative adverb)

• द्यूतजिताः: defeated in gambling
• द्यूतजिताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्यूत (प्रातिपदिक) + जि (धातु) + त (क्त, कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘द्यूतेन जिताः’ (defeated in gambling)

• पार्थाः: the Pārthas (sons of Pṛthā)
• पार्थाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचन

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी एकवचन

• पूर्वपितामहाः: former grandfathers; ancestors
• पूर्वपितामहाः: Apposition (Samanadhikarana/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः ‘पूर्वाः पितामहाः’

• आसमुद्राम्: up to the ocean; ocean-bounded
• आसमुद्राम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + समुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन; अव्ययीभावः ‘समुद्रपर्यन्ताम्’ (up to the sea)

• महीम्: the earth; land
• महीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन

• विप्र: O brāhmaṇa
• विप्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/8th) एकवचन

• भ्रमन्तः: wandering
• भ्रमन्तः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भ्रम् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचन

• तीर्थलोभतः: out of desire for holy places
• तीर्थलोभतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + लोभ (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तसिल्, अव्यय)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय; हेतुवाचक (ablatival adverb) ‘लोभात्’

Speaker

Janamejaya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The question evokes the Pāṇḍavas after the dice defeat, wandering across the whole earth to the seas, driven by longing for holy places; a mental panorama of roads, forests, rivers, and distant coasts.

Characters & Entities

• Janamejaya
• Pāṇḍavas
• Pārtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even after downfall and misfortune, dharmic recovery is pursued through tīrtha-yātrā and disciplined wandering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is named; the question anticipates a catalogue of sacred places in the Revā Khaṇḍa tradition.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pilgrimage motivated by tīrtha-seeking (tīrtha-lobha) is presented as a dharmic response to adversity.