Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

प्रत्ययार्थं नृपश्रेष्ठ ह्यद्यापि धरणीतले । कृष्णवर्णा हि पाषाणा दृश्यन्ते स्फटिकोज्ज्वलाः

Transliteration

pratyayārthaṃ nṛpaśreṣṭha hyadyāpi dharaṇītale | kṛṣṇavarṇā hi pāṣāṇā dṛśyante sphaṭikojjvalāḥ

Translation

Pour preuve, ô plus excellent des rois, aujourd’hui encore à la surface de la terre on voit des pierres noires, mais éclatantes d’une brillance de cristal.

Word by Word

• प्रत्ययार्थम्: for the sake of proof/conviction
• प्रत्ययार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रत्यय + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; चतुर्थी/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थः (प्रत्ययस्य अर्थः/प्रत्ययार्थः)

• नृपश्रेष्ठ: O best of kings
• नृपश्रेष्ठ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नृपाणां श्रेष्ठः)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic/causal particle)

• अद्यापि: even today, still
• अद्यापि: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य + अपि (अव्यय; समासवत्)
• Form: अव्ययीभावः; कालवाचक अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• धरणीतले: on the surface of the earth
• धरणीतले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरणी + तल (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (धरण्याः तलम्)

• कृष्णवर्णाः: black-colored
• कृष्णवर्णाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृष्ण + वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (कृष्णः वर्णः यस्य)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात

• पाषाणाः: stones
• पाषाणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाषाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• दृश्यन्ते: are seen
• दृश्यन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive: 'are seen')

• स्फटिकोज्ज्वलाः: shining like crystal
• स्फटिकोज्ज्वलाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्फटिक + उज्ज्वल (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; तृतीया-तत्पुरुषवत्/उपमानार्थः (स्फटिकेन उज्ज्वलाः = crystal-bright)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpaśreṣṭha (best of kings)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close view of dark stones on earth, glossy and crystal-bright, with pilgrims pointing in reverent astonishment; subtle aura suggesting divine contact.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic tīrtha-glory is reinforced through enduring natural signs that invite faith and remembrance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse continues the Saṅgameśvara tīrtha context, pointing to local geological signs as testimony.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it provides pratyaya (evidence) through observable features of the place.