Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

कथं केनात्र शक्यन्ते वक्तुं वर्षशतैरपि । तथाप्यत्र मुनिश्रेष्ठाः प्रोक्तं पार्थाय वै यथा

Transliteration

kathaṃ kenātra śakyante vaktuṃ varṣaśatairapi | tathāpyatra muniśreṣṭhāḥ proktaṃ pārthāya vai yathā

Translation

Comment, et par qui, pourrait-on les énoncer ici, fût-ce en des centaines d’années ? Pourtant, ô meilleurs des sages, je les dirai ici comme il fut enseigné à Pārtha.

Word by Word

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Sambandha/Modifier (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक क्रियाविशेषण (interrogative adverb)

• केन: by whom / by what means
• केन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (locative adverb: here)

• शक्यन्ते: are possible, can be
• शक्यन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √शक् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive), आत्मनेपद

• वक्तुम्: to describe/say
• वक्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (infinitive): 'to speak'

• वर्ष-शतैः: by hundreds of years
• वर्ष-शतैः: Karana (Instrument/Measure/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'वर्षाणां शतानि' (hundreds of years)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha/Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (even/also)

• तथापि: nevertheless
• तथापि: Sambandha/Connector (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय) + अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोधार्थक (concessive: nevertheless)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक

• मुनि-श्रेष्ठाः: the best sages
• मुनि-श्रेष्ठाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय: 'श्रेष्ठा मुनयः'

• प्रोक्तम्: was spoken, was stated
• प्रोक्तम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र (उपसर्ग) + √वच् (धातु) → प्रोक्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि भावः (it was said)

• पार्थाय: to Pārtha (Arjuna)
• पार्थाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha/Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात

• यथा: as, just as
• यथा: Sambandha/Modifier (प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक/यथार्थक (as, in the manner that)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa/Sauti)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages (muni-śreṣṭhāḥ)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The narrator bows slightly, acknowledging the impossibility of full enumeration; behind him, a faint vision of Arjuna (Pārtha) receiving earlier instruction appears like a memory-panel; sages listen attentively.

Characters & Entities

• Pārtha
• Munis (sages)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Accept humble summaries as gateways: even brief tīrtha-teachings, when rooted in lineage, carry transformative merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha; the verse underscores the innumerable Narmadā tīrthas and the need to present them concisely.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a methodological note about narration.