Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

युधिष्ठिर उवाच । आश्चर्यमेतल्लोकेषु यत्त्वया कथितं मुने । न दृष्टं न श्रुतं तात शूलस्थेन तपः कृतम्

Transliteration

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | āścaryametallokeṣu yattvayā kathitaṃ mune | na dṛṣṭaṃ na śrutaṃ tāta śūlasthena tapaḥ kṛtam

Translation

ຢຸທິສຖິຣາ ກ່າວວ່າ: ໂອ້ ມຸນີ, ສິ່ງທີ່ທ່ານເລົ່ານັ້ນເປັນຄວາມອັດສະຈັນໃນບັນດາໂລກ. ທ່ານຜູ້ນ່າເຄົາລົບ, ຂ້າບໍ່ເຄີຍເຫັນ ຫຼືໄດ້ຍິນວ່າ ມີຜູ້ບຳເພັນຕະປະໂດຍຢືນຢູ່ເທິງຫຼັກແຫຼມ (ຊູລ)

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), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• आश्चर्यम्: a wonder; astonishing (thing)
• आश्चर्यम्: Karma/Predicate nominal (कर्म/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्चर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc. 1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; विशेषण (adjectival) आश्चर्यम्-विशेषण

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

• यत्: which; that
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative)

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana (Instrument/Agentive instr./करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/स्त्री (pronoun), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• कथितम्: told; narrated
• कथितम्: Karma/Predicate (कर्म/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ् (धातु) + क्त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगार्थ (as ‘told’)

• मुने: O sage
• मुने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• दृष्टम्: seen
• दृष्टम्: Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + क्त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• श्रुतम्: heard
• श्रुतम्: Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु) + क्त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तात: O dear one; O father (term of address)
• तात: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• शूलस्थेन: by one situated on a stake/trident
• शूलस्थेन: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शूल-स्थ (प्रातिपदिक; शूल + स्थ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; विशेषण (adjectival) तपःकृतम्-सम्बद्ध

• तपः: austerity; penance
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• कृतम्: done; performed
• कृतम्: Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + क्त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तपः-विशेष्यक (done)

Speaker

Yudhiṣṭhira

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Māṇḍavya-tīrtha (implied)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mārkaṇḍeya (and assembled sages)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A royal assembly: Yudhiṣṭhira, astonished, addresses a sage; in the mind’s eye appears the severe image of an ascetic performing tapas upon a stake (śūla), evoking awe and reverence.

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Tapas
• Śūlastha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True tapas can be extraordinary and rare; the listener is urged toward reverent inquiry rather than disbelief when encountering accounts of intense asceticism.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse itself focuses on the marvel of śūlastha tapas; the tīrtha context is the Revā Khaṇḍa site being described in the surrounding narration.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it is a question expressing astonishment and prompting further explanation.