Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

इति ते कथितं पार्थ पारम्पर्यक्रमागतम् । कर्तव्यं ज्ञातिवर्गस्य परार्थे धर्मसाधनम्

Transliteration

iti te kathitaṃ pārtha pāramparyakramāgatam | kartavyaṃ jñātivargasya parārthe dharmasādhanam

Translation

Ainsi, ô Pārtha, je t’ai dit ce qui s’est transmis selon l’ordre de la tradition. Il est du devoir du cercle des parents d’accomplir le dharma aussi pour le bien d’autrui.

Word by Word

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: निगमन-अव्यय (thus)

• te: to you
• te: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (प्रातिपदिक सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• kathitam: told
• kathitam: Karma (Predicative object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kath (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘told/said’

• pārtha: O Pārtha (Arjuna)
• pārtha: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pārtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• pāramparya-krama-āgatam: handed down through tradition
• pāramparya-krama-āgatam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pāramparya (प्रातिपदिक) + krama (प्रातिपदिक) + āgata (कृदन्त-क्त, प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (‘come down in traditional sequence’)

• kartavyam: should be done
• kartavyam: Kriya (Obligation/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—तव्यत् (gerundive/obligatory), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘to be done/should be done’

• jñāti-vargasya: of the family/kin-group
• jñāti-vargasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jñāti (प्रातिपदिक) + varga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (‘of the group of relatives’)

• para-arthe: for others’ benefit
• para-arthe: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (‘for another’s purpose’)

• dharma-sādhanam: a means of righteousness
• dharma-sādhanam: Karma (Predicative complement/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक) + sādhana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (‘means of dharma’)

Speaker

Unspecified in excerpt (addressing 'Pārtha' within narrative frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā/Narmadā tīrtha tradition (general)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārtha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teacher-sage addresses ‘Pārtha’ in a riverside āśrama, gesturing to a lineage of elders behind him; in the foreground, family members perform acts of dharma on behalf of others, symbolizing paramparā transmission.

Characters & Entities

• Pārtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True dharma includes responsibility toward others—especially one’s family and dependents—grounded in received sacred tradition (pāramparya).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is mentioned in this verse; it functions as an ethical bridge within the Revā Khaṇḍa narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The prescription is ethical rather than ritual: the kin-group should actively uphold dharma for the welfare of others.