Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

माण्डव्यस्य समीपे तु ह्यपृच्छंस्ते द्विजोत्तमाः । निवारयसि किं विप्र शापं नृपजिघांसनम्

Transliteration

māṇḍavyasya samīpe tu hyapṛcchaṃste dvijottamāḥ | nivārayasi kiṃ vipra śāpaṃ nṛpajighāṃsanam

Translation

Mais près de Māṇḍavya, les meilleurs des deux-fois-nés demandèrent : « Ô brāhmane, pourquoi retiens-tu la malédiction qui anéantirait le roi ? »

Word by Word

• माण्डव्यस्य: of Māṇḍavya
• माण्डव्यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माण्डव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive)

• समीपे: near
• समीपे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समीप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरण (locative)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अन्वयार्थक अव्यय (but/indeed)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphasis)

• अपृच्छन्: asked
• अपृच्छन्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √प्रच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; कर्ता (of अपृच्छन्)

• द्विज-उत्तमाः: excellent Brahmins
• द्विज-उत्तमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (उत्तमाः द्विजाः); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; ते इत्यस्य विशेषण

• निवारयसि: you prevent/ward off
• निवारयसि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + √वृ (धातु) (वारणे)
• Form: लट् (Present), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• किम्: why?/what?
• किम्: Sambandha (Interrogative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक अव्यय (interrogative particle)

• विप्र: O Brahmin
• विप्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; संबोधन

• शापम्: curse
• शापम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म (object of निवारयसि)

• नृप-जिघांसनम्: aimed at killing the king
• नृप-जिघांसनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक) + जिघांसन (√हन् desiderative √हन्→जिघांस् + ल्युट्/अन)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (नृपस्य जिघांसनम् = king-slaying intent/act); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying शापम्)

Speaker

Ṛṣis / Dvijottamas

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Māṇḍavya-tīrtha / Māṇḍavya-āśrama (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: ṛṣis / tīrtha audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A circle of venerable sages near Māṇḍavya question a brāhmaṇa: why restrain a king-destroying curse? The brāhmaṇa stands composed, the air calm after prior fury.

Characters & Entities

• Māṇḍavya
• Ṛṣis/Dvijas
• King (unnamed)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Restraint can be higher than retaliation; dharma often requires measured justice rather than immediate destruction.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the verse is part of the Revā-kṣetra narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it concerns the ethical choice of withholding a śāpa (curse).