Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

को वा वृष इति प्रोक्तस्तत्खातं येन खानितम् । एतत्सर्वं यथान्यायं कथयस्व ममानघ

Transliteration

ko vā vṛṣa iti proktastatkhātaṃ yena khānitam | etatsarvaṃ yathānyāyaṃ kathayasva mamānagha

Translation

Et qui est celui qu’on appelle « Vṛṣa » ? Par qui ce « Khāta », ce lieu creusé, fut-il excavé ? Dis-moi tout cela comme il convient et dans l’ordre, ô irréprochable.

Word by Word

• कः: who
• कः: Karta (Subject of implied ‘is’/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• वा: or/indeed
• वा: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/particle; alternative/emphasis)

• वृषः: the bull (Vṛṣa)
• वृषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (quotative)

• प्रोक्तः: is called/was said
• प्रोक्तः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-वच् (√वच् धातु; क्त/कृदन्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि—‘is called/said’

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma/Predicate qualifier
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (खातम्-विशेषण)

• खातम्: the dug (pit/place)
• खातम्: Karta/Predicate-nominative (Topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खात (√खन् धातु; क्त/कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘खात’ (dug pit/dug place) as noun

• येन: by whom
• येन: Karana (Agent/means in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक

• खानितम्: was dug
• खानितम्: Kriya (Passive predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: खन् (√खन् धातु; णिच् causative + क्त/कृदन्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; णिच्-धातु ‘खानयति’ → ‘खानितम्’ = ‘was caused to be dug/was dug’

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (सर्वम्-विशेषण)

• सर्वम्: all (of it)
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• यथा: as/according to
• यथा: Sambandha (Manner marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उपमान/रीति-वाचक; manner)

• न्यायम्: properly/according to rule
• न्यायम्: Kriya-vishesana (Manner)
• Type: Noun
• Root: न्याय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘यथान्यायम्’ इति क्रियाविशेषणार्थे

• कथयस्व: tell (me)
• कथयस्व: Kriya (Command/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ् (√कथ् धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• मम: to me/of me
• मम: Sampradana (Beneficiary—‘to me’ sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अनघ: O sinless one
• अनघ: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनघ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; विशेषणरूपेण संबोधन

Speaker

Yudhiṣṭhira

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vṛṣakhāta

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mārkaṇḍeya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close-up of Yudhiṣṭhira’s questioning gesture toward a drawn plan of a dug basin (khāta) beside a river; the sage indicates the basin, suggesting an origin story about ‘Vṛṣa’.

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Vṛṣa
• Vṛṣakhāta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred geography is to be understood through rightful narration—names and places carry dharmic history worth learning in order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vṛṣakhāta, a famed spot associated with Bhṛgu-tīrtha/Bhṛgukaccha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is an inquiry into origin and naming.