Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

युधिष्ठिर उवाच । शुभाशुभफलैस्तात भुक्तभोगा नरास्त्विह । जायन्ते लक्षणैर्यैस्तु तानि मे वद सत्तम

Transliteration

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | śubhāśubhaphalaistāta bhuktabhogā narāstviha | jāyante lakṣaṇairyaistu tāni me vada sattama

Translation

ಯುಧಿಷ್ಠಿರನು ಹೇಳಿದರು—ಹೇ ತಾತ, ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಜನರು ಶುಭಾಶುಭ ಫಲಗಳನ್ನು ಅನುಭವಿಸಿ ಯಾವ ಯಾವ ಲಕ್ಷಣಗಳೊಂದಿಗೆ ಪುನರ್ಜನ್ಮ ಪಡೆಯುತ್ತಾರೆ, ಹೇ ಸತ್ತಮ, ಅವನ್ನು ನನಗೆ ಹೇಳು.

Word by Word

• युधिष्ठिरः: Yudhiṣṭhira
• युधिष्ठिरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; वक्ता

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• शुभाशुभफलैः: by (their) good-and-bad fruits/results
• शुभाशुभफलैः: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुभ + अशुभ + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; हेतु/साधन (by means of results of good and bad)

• तात: O dear one/father
• तात: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; स्नेहसम्बोधन

• भुक्तभोगाः: having experienced enjoyments
• भुक्तभोगाः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भुक्त (√भुज्, कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + भोग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; नराः इति विशेषणम्; ‘भुक्ताः भोगाः येषाम्’ (those who have experienced enjoyments)

• नराः: men/people
• नराः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; कर्तृपद

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (but/indeed)

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikaraṇa (देश/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देश/कालवाचक (here/in this world)

• जायन्ते: are born
• जायन्ते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• लक्षणैः: with characteristics/marks
• लक्षणैः: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; साधन/हेतु (with/by characteristics)

• यैः: by which
• यैः: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध (by which)

• तु: and/but
• तु: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (and/but)

• तानि: those (marks)
• तानि: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; कर्मपद

• मे: to me
• मे: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (to me/of me)

• वद: tell
• वद: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• सत्तम: O best of the virtuous
• सत्तम: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत् + तम (प्रातिपदिक; उत्तम-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; ‘श्रेष्ठः सताम्’ (best of the good)

Speaker

Yudhiṣṭhira

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mārkaṇḍeya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Yudhiṣṭhira, thoughtful and compassionate, questions Mārkaṇḍeya about the marks by which reborn beings are recognized after tasting good and evil results.

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse frames human birth as karmically conditioned—past good and evil produce visible ‘marks’ and life circumstances.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single site is named in this verse; it functions as a doctrinal question within the Revā Khaṇḍa’s sacred-geography narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it introduces inquiry into karmic consequences and their manifestations.