Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

कथितुं वृद्धभावत्वादतीतो बहुकालिकः । संक्षेपात्तेन ते तात कथयामि निबोध मे

Transliteration

kathituṃ vṛddhabhāvatvādatīto bahukālikaḥ | saṃkṣepāttena te tāta kathayāmi nibodha me

Translation

En raison de mon grand âge, bien des temps ont passé, et je ne puis le raconter longuement. Aussi, cher enfant, je te l’exposerai brièvement ; écoute et comprends mes paroles.

Word by Word

• कथितुम्: to narrate
• कथितुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ्/कथय् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय-रूप (Infinitive): ‘to tell’

• वृद्धभावत्वात्: due to the state of old age
• वृद्धभावत्वात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृद्ध-भाव-त्व (प्रातिपदिक; बहुपद-समासः)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थः (because of old age-state)

• अतीतः: has passed/elapsed
• अतीतः: Kriya (Predicate participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अति-इ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘passed/elapsed’

• बहुकालिकः: of a long time/lasting long
• बहुकालिकः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु-कालिक (प्रातिपदिक; तत्पुरुषः)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying implied ‘time/period’)

• संक्षेपात्: briefly/in summary
• संक्षेपात्: Kriya-visheshana (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संक्षेप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे—‘briefly’ (from brevity)

• तेन: therefore/for that reason
• तेन: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; तस्मात्-हेतोः ‘therefore/for that reason’ (instrumental of cause)

• ते: to you/for you
• ते: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन (enclitic)

• तात: O dear one
• तात: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• कथयामि: I tell/narrate
• कथयामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथय् (धातु; णिच्-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन

• निबोध: understand/heed
• निबोध: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: बुध् (धातु) + नि- (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘understand/know’

• मे: my/of me
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (enclitic); ‘of me’ (often ‘my words’)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Guhāvāsī (context)

Type: cave

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Aged Mārkaṇḍeya, serene yet visibly old, speaks kindly to Yudhiṣṭhira, indicating he will narrate briefly; the king leans forward in attentive humility.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even a brief, faithful recounting of sacred history can transmit dharma when offered by a revered narrator.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not named here; the verse introduces the upcoming account connected to Guhāvāsī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a narration preface.