Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

युधिष्ठिर उवाच । कावेरीति च विख्याता त्रिषु लोकेषु सत्तम । माहात्म्यं श्रोतुमिच्छामि तस्या मार्कण्ड तत्त्वतः

Transliteration

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | kāverīti ca vikhyātā triṣu lokeṣu sattama | māhātmyaṃ śrotumicchāmi tasyā mārkaṇḍa tattvataḥ

Translation

ಯುಧಿಷ್ಠಿರನು ಹೇಳಿದನು—ಹೇ ಸತ್ತಮ! ‘ಕಾವೇರಿ’ ಎಂದು ಖ್ಯಾತಿಯಾದ ಆ ನದಿ ತ್ರಿಲೋಕಗಳಲ್ಲಿಯೂ ಪ್ರಸಿದ್ಧ. ಹೇ ಮಾರ್ಕಂಡೇಯ! ಅವಳ ಮಹಾತ್ಮ್ಯವನ್ನು ತತ್ತ್ವತಃ ಕೇಳಲು ನಾನು ಇಚ್ಛಿಸುತ್ತೇನೆ.

Word by Word

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

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

• कावेरी: Kāverī
• कावेरी: Karta/Predicate Subject (कर्ता/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कावेरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; नाम

• इति: thus (called)
• इति: Avyaya (Quotative/उद्धरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/इत्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

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

• विख्याता: renowned
• विख्याता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विख्यात (प्रातिपदिक; √ख्या (धातु) से क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; विशेषण (कावेरी)

• त्रिषु: in three
• त्रिषु: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक विशेषण (लोकेषु)

• लोकेषु: worlds
• लोकेषु: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), बहुवचन; स्थान (in the worlds)

• सत्तम: O best of the virtuous
• सत्तम: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत् + तम (प्रातिपदिक; तमप्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; उत्तम-पुरुषार्थक (best of the good) संबोधन

• माहात्म्यम्: the greatness (glory)
• माहात्म्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्म (object of इच्छामि)

• श्रोतुम्: to hear
• श्रोतुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √श्रु (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (infinitive); √श्रु (to hear) (to hear)

• इच्छामि: I wish
• इच्छामि: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √इष् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तस्याः: of her (of it)
• तस्याः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (of her/of it)

• मार्कण्ड: O Mārkaṇḍa
• मार्कण्ड: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्कण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; ऋषिनाम संबोधन

• तत्त्वतः: in truth / accurately
• तत्त्वतः: Avyaya (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्त्वतः (अव्यय; तत्त्व + तस्)
• Form: अव्यय; तस्-प्रत्ययान्त क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: truly/in reality)

Speaker

Yudhiṣṭhira

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāverī

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mārkaṇḍeya (to answer)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Forest hermitage scene: Yudhiṣṭhira seated respectfully before sage Mārkaṇḍeya; behind them a river personified as a goddess (Kāverī) rises from flowing waters, indicating ‘three-world renown’.

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Kāverī
• Mārkaṇḍeya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma begins with śravaṇa (reverent listening): seeking the true greatness of a sacred river refines faith and directs pilgrimage rightly.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāverī is introduced as a three-world-renowned sacred river, setting up the Kāverī-saṅgama (confluence) glorification in the chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No rite yet; it is an inquiry initiating the māhātmya narration.