Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । शृण्वन्तु ऋषयः सर्वे त्वया सह नरेश्वर । महत्पुराणं पूर्वोक्तं शंभुना वायुदैवते

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | śṛṇvantu ṛṣayaḥ sarve tvayā saha nareśvara | mahatpurāṇaṃ pūrvoktaṃ śaṃbhunā vāyudaivate

Translation

ಶ್ರೀ ಮಾರ್ಕಂಡೇಯನು ಹೇಳಿದರು—ಓ ನರೇಶ್ವರ, ನಿನ್ನೊಡನೆ ಎಲ್ಲ ಋಷಿಗಳು ಕೇಳಲಿ. ಈ ಮಹಾಪುರಾಣವನ್ನು ಪೂರ್ವದಲ್ಲಿ ಶಂಭುವು ದೇವಸ್ವರೂಪ ವಾಯುವಿಗೆ ಉಪದೇಶಿಸಿದನು.

Word by Word

• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya
• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रीमार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—श्री + मार्कण्डेय (कर्मधारयः)

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

• शृण्वन्तु: let (them) hear
• शृण्वन्तु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• ऋषयः: sages
• ऋषयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (ऋषयः)

• त्वया: by you / with you
• त्वया: Sahakari (Instrument/साधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• सह: together with
• सह: Sambandha (Association/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपसर्गसदृशः/सह-प्रयोगः (with)

• नरेश्वर: O lord of men (king)
• नरेश्वर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; समासः—नर + ईश्वर (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः/‘men’s lord’)

• महत्पुराणम्: the great Purāṇa
• महत्पुराणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महत् + पुराण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—महत् + पुराण (कर्मधारयः)

• पूर्वोक्तम्: previously spoken
• पूर्वोक्तम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्व + उक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; वच्→उक्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त); समासः—पूर्व + उक्त (तत्पुरुषः)

• शंभुना: by Śambhu (Śiva)
• शंभुना: Kartr-karana (Agent-instrument/कर्तृ-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• वायुदैवते: in/for the deity Vāyu
• वायुदैवते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायु + दैवत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—वायु + दैवत (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nareśvara (king) with assembled ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A forest hermitage assembly: Mārkaṇḍeya seated on kuśa grass, addressing a king and gathered ṛṣis; a subtle divine presence indicating Śambhu’s earlier proclamation to Vāyu.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Ṛṣis
• Nareśvara (king)
• Śambhu (Śiva)
• Vāyu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred knowledge is preserved through a divine-to-sage lineage, grounding Purāṇic teaching in Śiva’s authority.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is named here; the verse establishes the authority and origin of the Purāṇa within the Revā Khaṇḍa context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The implied practice is śravaṇa (devout listening) to Purāṇic recitation, praised as a meritorious act.