Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

श्रूयतां मम वाक्यं च भवद्भिः पृच्छितो ह्यहम् । पूर्वे वयसि भो विप्रा मलस्नानकृतक्षणः

Transliteration

śrūyatāṃ mama vākyaṃ ca bhavadbhiḥ pṛcchito hyaham | pūrve vayasi bho viprā malasnānakṛtakṣaṇaḥ

Translation

Écoutez mes paroles, car vous m’avez réellement interrogé, ô brāhmaṇas. Dans ma première jeunesse, au moment où je me baignais pour me purifier…

Word by Word

• श्रूयताम्: let (it) be heard
• श्रूयताम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लकारः—लोट् (Imperative/आज्ञार्थक), पुरुषः—प्रथम (3rd), वचनम्—बहुवचन (Plural), आत्मनेपदम्; कर्मणि-प्रयोगः (Passive sense): ‘let it be heard’

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

• वाक्यम्: statement, words
• वाक्यम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (Conjunction)

• भवद्भिः: by you (all)
• भवद्भिः: Karana (Instrument/Agent-in-passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया (Instrumental/करण), बहुवचन (Plural)

• पृच्छितः: (having been) asked
• पृच्छितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रच्छ् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः—क्त (Past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन; अर्थः—‘asked’

• हि: indeed, for
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (Particle), हेत्वर्थ/निश्चयार्थ (indeed/for)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (Nominative/कर्ता), एकवचन (Singular)

• पूर्वे: in earlier
• पूर्वे: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन; ‘in former/earlier’ (agreeing with वयसि)

• वयसि: in (my) age/youth
• वयसि: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन (Singular)

• भो: O!
• भो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भो (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बोधन-निपात (Vocative particle)

• विप्राः: O brahmins
• विप्राः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), बहुवचन (Plural)

• मलस्नानकृतक्षणः: one engaged in washing off filth (then)
• मलस्नानकृतक्षणः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मल-स्नान-कृत-क्षण (प्रातिपदिक); मल (dirt) + स्नान (bath) + कृत (done) + क्षण (moment)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (determinative): ‘(one) whose moment/time was spent in bathing off dirt’

Speaker

Māṇḍavya Ṛṣi

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha milieu (contextual)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: brāhmaṇas/mahārṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A penitent narrator addresses a circle of brāhmaṇa-sages near a riverbank, recalling an incident from youth during bathing/cleansing.

Characters & Entities

• Māṇḍavya
• Viprāḥ (brāhmaṇas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It introduces a personal testimony: karmic doctrine is illustrated through lived experience.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is praised in this line; it functions as narrative framing within the Revā Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A cleansing bath (snāna) is referenced as part of the story setting, not as a formal injunction.