Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

तेभ्यो निवेदयामास यथावृत्तं नृपोत्तमः । स तैस्तदाभ्यनुज्ञातः काष्ठान्यादाय यत्नतः

Transliteration

tebhyo nivedayāmāsa yathāvṛttaṃ nṛpottamaḥ | sa taistadābhyanujñātaḥ kāṣṭhānyādāya yatnataḥ

Translation

最勝の王は、起こったことの一切を彼らに告げた。彼らの許しを得て、彼は勤め励みつつ、慎重に薪を集めた。

Word by Word

• तेभ्यः: to them
• तेभ्यः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी/चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Abl./Dat.), बहुवचन; अत्र चतुर्थी (to them)

• निवेदयामास: reported; informed
• निवेदयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + विद् (धातु) (णिच् causative)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative: 'made known' = 'reported')

• यथा: as; in the manner that
• यथा: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (manner adverb: 'as')

• वृत्तम्: what happened; the event
• वृत्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृत्त (प्रातिपदिक; वृत्त = 'occurred', from वृत्त्/वृत्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'यथावृत्तम्' इति क्रियाविशेषणवत् (as an adverbial accusative)

• नृपोत्तमः: the best of kings
• नृपोत्तमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• तैः: by them
• तैः: Kartr-karana (Agent in passive/कर्तृ-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• अभ्यनुज्ञातः: permitted; authorized
• अभ्यनुज्ञातः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि + अनु + ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (Past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगार्थ (passive sense: 'having been permitted')

• काष्ठानि: pieces of wood
• काष्ठानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• आदाय: having taken
• आदाय: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + दा (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्/क्त्वा-समकक्ष (Gerund/Absolutive: आदाय), अव्ययभाव

• यत्नतः: carefully; with effort
• यत्नतः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb; तसिल्-प्रत्ययार्थ: 'with effort')

Speaker

Narrator (contextual)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīra āśrama context

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nṛpa/nṛpottama addressed

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king respectfully narrates the incident to assembled brāhmaṇas; then, with their nod, he gathers firewood—bundles of dry sticks—near the forest edge, preparing for cremation/ritual fire.

Characters & Entities

• King (nṛpottama)
• Brāhmaṇas (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual action should be grounded in truthfulness and proper authorization—dharma proceeds with transparency and guidance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it is part of the lead-up to rites connected with the Narmadā tīrtha narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Preparing for cremation by collecting firewood, after informing elders and receiving their consent.