Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

ततः प्रोवाच भगवान् स्मितपूर्वमिदं वचः

Transliteration

tataḥ provāca bhagavān smitapūrvamidaṃ vacaḥ

Translation

Alors le Seigneur Bienheureux, après avoir d’abord souri, prononça ces paroles.

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb) — काल/अनन्तरार्थे (then)

• प्रोवाच: said, spoke
• प्रोवाच: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-उच् (धातु) → प्रोवाच
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• भगवान्: the Blessed Lord
• भगवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• स्मितपूर्वम्: smilingly
• स्मितपूर्वम्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्मित + पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमासः; अव्ययवत् क्रियाविशेषणम् (with a smile beforehand / smilingly)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (वचः इति)

• वचः: speech, words
• वचः: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (deduced narrator); the next speech is by Bhagavān (Śiva implied by prior verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā tirtha-zone (Revākhaṇḍa)

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva turns from observation to speech, a gentle smile forming—an auspicious pause before the boon or teaching is revealed.

Characters & Entities

• Bhagavān (Śiva implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Lord’s smile signals grace—divine response begins when refuge is sincerely sought.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None is stated in this verse.