Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

भो नारद मुनिश्रेष्ठ जानीषे केशवं क्वचित् । गत्वा तत्र च शीघ्रं त्वं केशवाय निवेदय

Transliteration

bho nārada muniśreṣṭha jānīṣe keśavaṃ kvacit | gatvā tatra ca śīghraṃ tvaṃ keśavāya nivedaya

Translation

«Ô Nārada, le meilleur des sages, sais-tu où se trouve Keśava ? Va vite en ce lieu et rapporte ceci à Keśava».

Word by Word

• भो: O!
• भो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भो (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बोधनार्थक-अव्यय (vocative particle)

• नारद: O Nārada
• नारद: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन (Masc., Voc., Singular)

• मुनिश्रेष्ठ: best of sages
• मुनिश्रेष्ठ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष-समास (मुनिनां श्रेष्ठः); पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन (Tatpuruṣa; Masc., Voc., Singular)

• जानीषे: do you know
• जानीषे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद (Present, 2nd person, Singular; Ātmanepada)

• केशवम्: Keśava (Viṣṇu)
• केशवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केशव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (Masc., Acc., Singular)

• क्वचित्: somewhere/at all
• क्वचित्: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्वचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/कालवाचक-अव्यय (indefinite adverb: somewhere/ever)

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकाल (having gone)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• शीघ्रम्: quickly
• शीघ्रम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शीघ्रम् (अव्यय/नपुंसक-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: रीतिवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of manner: quickly)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा, एकवचन (2nd person pronoun, Nom., Singular)

• केशवाय: to Keśava
• केशवाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केशव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन (Masc., Dat., Singular)

• निवेदय: inform/announce
• निवेदय: Kriya (Command/आज्ञा)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + वेद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (Imperative, 2nd person, Singular; Parasmaipada)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva) (deduced from immediate surrounding verses: Śiva speaks to Nārada)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nārada

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva addresses Nārada with urgency, asking about Keśava’s location and commanding him to go swiftly; Nārada stands attentive, ready to depart as divine mission begins.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Keśava (Viṣṇu)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Great tasks in dharma are fulfilled through humble service and timely communication by the wise.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the verse functions as a narrative pivot within the Revā Khaṇḍa setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is an instruction (ājñā) to deliver a message to Keśava.