Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

कथं म्लेच्छसमाकीर्णो देशोऽयं द्विजसत्तम । एतदाचक्ष्व मां ब्रह्मन्मार्कण्डेय महामते

Transliteration

kathaṃ mlecchasamākīrṇo deśo'yaṃ dvijasattama | etadācakṣva māṃ brahmanmārkaṇḍeya mahāmate

Translation

Comment ce pays s’est-il trouvé envahi de mleccha, ô le meilleur des deux-fois-nés ? Explique-le-moi, vénérable brāhmane, ô Mārkaṇḍeya à la grande âme.

Word by Word

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• म्लेच्छ-समाकीर्णः: filled with mlecchas
• म्लेच्छ-समाकीर्णः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: म्लेच्छ (प्रातिपदिक) + सम् + आ + कृ (धातु) + क्त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; तृतीया-तत्पुरुष (म्लेच्छैः समाकीर्णः = ‘filled with mlecchas’), क्त-प्रत्ययान्त

• देशः: country, region
• देशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; निर्देशवाचक-सर्वनाम (demonstrative)

• द्विजसत्तम: O best of the twice-born
• द्विजसत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/उपपद-समासार्थः (द्विजानां सत्तमः)

• एतत्: this (matter)
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• आचक्ष्व: tell, explain
• आचक्ष्व: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + चक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• माम्: to me
• माम्: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; प्रथम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम (1st person pronoun)

• ब्रह्मन्: O brahman (sage)
• ब्रह्मन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; ऋषि/ब्राह्मण-सम्बोधन

• मार्कण्डेय: O Mārkaṇḍeya
• मार्कण्डेय: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• महामते: O great-minded one
• महामते: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + मति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि (महती मतिः यस्य सः)

Speaker

Yudhiṣṭhira

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira (speaker of the question)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A troubled royal figure asks a venerable sage why the region has become filled with mlecchas; the hermitage is calm, contrasting with distant hints of turmoil beyond the forest edge.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Yudhiṣṭhira

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A dhārmic seeker should inquire into causes and history with humility, approaching realized sages for truthful understanding.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader setting is the Revā/Narmadā sacred region (Revā Khaṇḍa), preparing for its māhātmya and purāṇic history.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it is an inquiry initiating the teaching.