Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 45

Devanagari script

एतच्छ्रुत्वा तु देवेशः प्रहसन्प्रत्युवाच ताम् । वेदवाक्ये पुराणार्थे स्मृत्यर्थे द्विजभाषिते

Transliteration

etacchrutvā tu deveśaḥ prahasanpratyuvāca tām | vedavākye purāṇārthe smṛtyarthe dvijabhāṣite

Translation

À ces mots, le Seigneur des dieux, souriant, lui répondit selon la parole des Veda, le sens des Purāṇa, l’intention des Smṛti et les enseignements des sages deux fois nés.

Word by Word

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु) + त्वा (प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वकाल (having heard)

• तु: then; indeed
• तु: Avyaya (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• देवेशः: Lord of the gods
• देवेशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः ‘देवानाम् ईशः’ (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• प्रहसन्: smiling/laughing
• प्रहसन्: Karta (Agent participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-हस् (धातु) + शतृ (प्रत्यय)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (present participle, शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तरि

• प्रत्युवाच: replied
• प्रत्युवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति-उप-√वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• ताम्: to her; her
• ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• वेदवाक्ये: in the Vedic statement
• वेदवाक्ये: Adhikarana (Location/Domain)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद + वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः ‘वेदस्य वाक्यम्’ (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• पुराणार्थे: in the meaning of the Purāṇa
• पुराणार्थे: Adhikarana (Location/Domain)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुराण + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः ‘पुराणस्य अर्थः’ (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• स्मृत्यर्थे: in the meaning of Smṛti
• स्मृत्यर्थे: Adhikarana (Location/Domain)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्मृति + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः ‘स्मृतेः अर्थः’ (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• द्विजभाषिते: in what is spoken by the twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विजभाषिते: Adhikarana (Location/Domain)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + भाषित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः ‘द्विजैः भाषितम्’ (तृतीया-तत्पुरुष/करण-सम्बन्ध)

Speaker

Śiva (Deveśa)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: (primary audience, implicit)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva smiles gently (prahasan) and begins a didactic reply; symbolic scrolls or palm-leaf manuscripts representing Veda, Purāṇa, Smṛti appear as motifs around them.

Characters & Entities

• Deveśa (Śiva)
• Veda
• Purāṇa
• Smṛti
• Dvija

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic tīrtha-glories are framed as consistent with Veda, Smṛti, and learned tradition—dharma rests on authoritative teaching.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching supports the Revā/Narmadā tīrtha-context by grounding its mahātmya in scriptural authority.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it establishes the pramāṇa (authoritative sources) for understanding ritual efficacy.