Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

मार्कण्डेय उवाच । कथयामि यथावृत्तमितिहासं पुरातनम् । कथितं पूर्वतो वृद्धैः पारम्पर्येण भारत

Transliteration

mārkaṇḍeya uvāca | kathayāmi yathāvṛttamitihāsaṃ purātanam | kathitaṃ pūrvato vṛddhaiḥ pāramparyeṇa bhārata

Translation

Mārkaṇḍeya dit : «Je vais raconter l’antique récit tel qu’il advint, transmis jadis par les anciens selon la lignée de la tradition, ô Bhārata.»

Word by Word

• मार्कण्डेयः: Mārkaṇḍeya
• मार्कण्डेयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

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

• कथयामि: I narrate, I will tell
• कथयामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथय् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• यथा: as, according to
• यथा: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (as/according to)

• वृत्तम्: the event as it occurred
• वृत्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृत्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘यथावृत्तम्’ इत्यत्र कर्मपद (what happened)

• इतिहासम्: the ancient account, history
• इतिहासम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इतिहास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘वृत्तम्’ इत्यस्य विशेष्य/समर्थक (narrative)

• पुरातनम्: ancient
• पुरातनम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुरातन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (इतिहासम्)

• कथितम्: (it was) told
• कथितम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ् (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; भावे/कर्मणि (told/related)

• पूर्वतः: formerly
• पूर्वतः: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्वतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (formerly/earlier)

• वृद्धैः: by the elders
• वृद्धैः: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; करण/कर्तृवाचक (by elders)

• पारम्पर्येण: through tradition
• पारम्पर्येण: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पारम्पर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; साधन/प्रकारवाचक (by tradition)

• भारत: O Bhārata (descendant of Bharata)
• भारत: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन; संबोधनपद

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Rukmiṇī-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mārkaṇḍeya begins the ancient account, evoking elders and lineage; a storyteller’s posture with attentive royal listener; manuscripts, rosary, and hermitage setting suggest tradition.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Yudhiṣṭhira

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha-māhātmyas are preserved through paramparā; reverence for tradition safeguards dharma and sacred memory.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

The narration is preparing the origin account connected to Rukmiṇī Tīrtha (explicitly discussed in this adhyāya).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse establishes the authority of the forthcoming traditional narrative.