Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

कथयामि यथावृत्तमितिहासं पुरातनम् । कथितं पूर्वतो वृद्धैः पारम्पर्येण भारत

Transliteration

kathayāmi yathāvṛttamitihāsaṃ purātanam | kathitaṃ pūrvato vṛddhaiḥ pāramparyeṇa bhārata

Translation

Je raconterai, tel que cela advint, un antique itihāsa, jadis dit par les anciens et transmis par une tradition ininterrompue, ô Bhārata.

Word by Word

• कथयामि: I narrate
• कथयामि: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथय् (धातु; कथ्-णिच्)
• Form: लट्; उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• यथा: as
• यथा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; रीतिवाचक (as)

• वृत्तम्: as it happened
• वृत्तम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृत्त (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त (PPP) from वृत्/वृत्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (happened/occurred)

• इतिहासम्: ancient tale/history
• इतिहासम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इतिहास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन

• पुरातनम्: ancient
• पुरातनम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुरातन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying इतिहासम्)

• कथितम्: told
• कथितम्: Kriyā (Predicate participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ् (धातु)
• Form: क्त (PPP); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; भावे/कर्मणि (told)

• पूर्वतः: formerly
• पूर्वतः: Kālādvaya (Temporal adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्वतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक/दिशावाचक (formerly/before)

• वृद्धैः: by the elders
• वृद्धैः: Karta (Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया, बहुवचन (instrumental plural)

• पारम्पर्येण: through tradition
• पारम्पर्येण: Karaṇa (Means/Manner)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पारम्पर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया, एकवचन (instrumental singular); साधन/प्रकार (by tradition)

• भारत: O Bhārata
• भारत: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन, एकवचन

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhārata (king addressed as Bhārata)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The sage begins formal narration, holding a manuscript or rosary, indicating an ancient lineage of storytellers behind him.

Characters & Entities

• Bhārata (descendant of Bharata)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic truth is preserved through paramparā; receiving it with trust connects one to dharma safeguarded by elders.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it signals the start of an ancient narrative within the Revā Khaṇḍa framework.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; the stress is on faithful reception of traditional narration (itihāsa) through śravaṇa.