Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

युधिष्ठिर उवाच । कस्माच्च कारणात्तात रेवाया दक्षिणे तटे । वासुकीशस्थापितो वै विस्तराद्वद मे गुरो

Transliteration

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | kasmācca kāraṇāttāta revāyā dakṣiṇe taṭe | vāsukīśasthāpito vai vistarādvada me guro

Translation

Yudhiṣṭhira berkata: Wahai ayahanda, karena sebab apakah Vāsukīśa ditegakkan di tepi selatan Revā (Narmadā)? Wahai Guru yang mulia, jelaskanlah kepadaku dengan rinci.

Word by Word

• युधिष्ठिरः: Yudhiṣṭhira
• युधिष्ठिरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• कस्मात्: from what? / why?
• कस्मात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• कारणात्: from the cause / for what reason
• कारणात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular)

• तात: dear one / father (as address)
• तात: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• रेवायाः: of Revā (Narmadā)
• रेवायाः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रेवा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• दक्षिणे: on the southern
• दक्षिणे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (qualifying)

• तटे: bank
• तटे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• वासुकीशः: Vāsukīśa (lord of Vāsuki)
• वासुकीशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासुकीश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वासुकेः ईशः = lord of Vāsuki)

• स्थापितः: was installed/placed
• स्थापितः: Kriya (Result state) / Karma (Object implied)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) + णिच्; स्थापित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग-सूचक

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• विस्तरात्: in detail
• विस्तरात्: Hetu/Prayojana (Manner/Cause nuance)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विस्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular); अव्ययीभावार्थे (in the sense of 'in detail')

• वद: tell
• वद: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• मे: to me
• मे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-एकवचन (Genitive/Dative singular) रूप; अत्र चतुर्थी (to me) प्रायः

• गुरो: O teacher
• गुरो: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Yudhiṣṭhira

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vāsukīśa on Revā-dakṣiṇa-taṭa

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mārkaṇḍeya (addressed as guru)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Yudhiṣṭhira respectfully questions Mārkaṇḍeya about why Vāsukīśa was established on the southern bank of Revā; the river flows beside an emerging Śaiva shrine.

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Revā (Narmadā)
• Vāsukīśa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred geography is purposeful in Purāṇas; inquiry from a dharmic ruler opens the door to deeper tīrtha-māhātmya.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vāsukīśa on the southern bank of Revā (Narmadā) is the focal site being asked about.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; this is a request for the origin-story (kāraṇa) behind the shrine’s establishment.