Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 90

Devanagari script

याते काले महेन्द्रेण सनन्दनमहोत्सवे । निमंत्रितस्तत्कथितां भाविनीमशृणोत्कथाम्

Transliteration

yāte kāle mahendreṇa sanandanamahotsave | nimaṃtritastatkathitāṃ bhāvinīmaśṛṇotkathām

Translation

En temps voulu, lorsque Mahendra célébra la grande fête de Sanandana, il y fut convié et entendit de lui le récit de ce qui devait advenir à l’avenir.

Word by Word

• याते: when (the time) had passed/come
• याते: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यात (कृदन्त; √या (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'काले' इत्यनेन सह सति-सप्तमीभावः

• काले: at the time
• काले: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• महेन्द्रेण: by Mahendra (Indra)
• महेन्द्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• सनन्दनमहोत्सवे: at the great festival of Sanandana
• सनन्दनमहोत्सवे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सनन्दन + महोत्सव (प्रातिपदिके; समास)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (सनन्दनस्य महोत्सवः), पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• निमंत्रितः: (he) having been invited
• निमंत्रितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निमन्त्रित (कृदन्त; √मन्त्र् (धातु) + नि उपसर्ग + क्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगे 'invited' (as predicate of subject)

• तत्कथिताम्: told by him/that (previously) told
• तत्कथिताम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तत् (सर्वनाम) + कथित (कृदन्त; √कथ् + क्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (तेन/तस्य कथिता), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• भाविनीम्: future, impending
• भाविनीम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भाविनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (future/impending)

• अशृणोत्: he heard
• अशृणोत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• कथाम्: a story/account
• कथाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic voice; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahendra/Mahendragiri (contextual)

Type: peak

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A grand festival on a sacred mountain: banners, sacrificial fires, sages seated in rows; Mahendra/host presides; the invited king listens as a revered speaker narrates future events; celestial beings hover.

Characters & Entities

• Mahendra (Indra)
• Sanandana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine counsel and foreknowledge guide a dharmic life, especially when linked to sacred vows and pilgrimages.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not named in this verse; it sets up the later instruction about a specific tīrtha in the Setu region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly here; the verse introduces a forthcoming instruction.