Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

शौनकस्य वचः श्रुत्वा उवाच चरितं तदा । व्यास शिष्यो महाप्रज्ञः कुमारस्य महात्मनः

Transliteration

śaunakasya vacaḥ śrutvā uvāca caritaṃ tadā | vyāsa śiṣyo mahāprajñaḥ kumārasya mahātmanaḥ

Translation

Ayant entendu les paroles de Śaunaka, le disciple de Vyāsa, d’une grande sagesse, se mit alors à raconter les actes sacrés du magnanime Kumāra.

Word by Word

• शौनकस्य: of Śaunaka
• शौनकस्य: Sambandha (genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शौनक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वचः: speech, words
• वचः: Karma (Object/कर्म) (of श्रुत्वा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: श्रु (धातु) + त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive): ‘having heard’

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• चरितम्: deed, story, account
• चरितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चरित (चर् (धातु) + क्त, कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्म (object)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: then)

• व्यास: O Vyāsa
• व्यास: Sambodhana (address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन (vocative)

• शिष्यः: disciple
• शिष्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता) (of उवाच)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• महाप्रज्ञः: very wise
• महाप्रज्ञः: Viśeṣaṇa (modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (महती प्रज्ञा यस्य), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (of शिष्यः)

• कुमारस्य: of Kumāra
• कुमारस्य: Sambandha (genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुमार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• महात्मनः: of the great-souled (one)
• महात्मनः: Viśeṣaṇa (modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (of कुमारस्य)

Speaker

Narrator (deduced: Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa) introducing Vyāsa’s disciple as the next speaker

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka (and the sages)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Forest āśrama setting: Śaunaka and sages seated; Vyāsa’s wise disciple rises to speak; palm-leaf manuscripts, sacrificial fire, and attentive listening signal the start of Kumāra-carita narration.

Characters & Entities

• Śaunaka
• Vyāsa
• Vyāsa’s disciple (unnamed here)
• Kumāra (Skanda/Kārttikeya)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred knowledge is preserved through lineage and attentive listening—questions invite authoritative narration.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; it is a framing verse within Kedārakhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it marks a transition to the formal telling of Kumāra’s deeds.