Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

एतत्त्वाश्चर्यमतुलं सर्वलोकेष्वनुत्तमम् । कथयस्व महाभाग परं कौतूहलं मम

Transliteration

etattvāścaryamatulaṃ sarvalokeṣvanuttamam | kathayasva mahābhāga paraṃ kautūhalaṃ mama

Translation

यह आश्चर्य अतुल है, समस्त लोकों में भी अनुपम है। हे महाभाग, मेरी गहरी जिज्ञासा है—कृपा करके इसे कहिए।

Word by Word

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic particle)

• आश्चर्यम्: a wonder
• आश्चर्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्चर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अतुलम्: incomparable
• अतुलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अतुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् आश्चर्यम्

• सर्वलोकेषु: in all worlds
• सर्वलोकेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• अनुत्तमम्: unsurpassed
• अनुत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् आश्चर्यम्

• कथयस्व: tell (me)
• कथयस्व: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथय् (धातु; √कथ् + णिच्)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• महाभाग: O fortunate one
• महाभाग: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाभाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• परम्: great, supreme
• परम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् कौतूहलम्

• कौतूहलम्: curiosity, wonder
• कौतूहलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौतूहल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मम: my
• मम: Shashthi-sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

Speaker

Unspecified interlocutor (listener/questioner addressing Mārkaṇḍeya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Agnitīrtha (forthcoming narrative focus)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close-up of Yudhiṣṭhira expressing awe—hands joined, eyes widened—addressing the sage; the background subtly shows the river route and a distant flame-shrine, signaling the ‘unsurpassed wonder’ to be revealed.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverent inquiry (jijñāsā) is presented as the doorway to receiving sacred knowledge and Mahātmya teachings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The context is Revā Khaṇḍa, oriented to the sanctity of the Revā/Narmadā region, though this verse itself is an opening inquiry.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it functions as a request to narrate the sacred account.