Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 63

Devanagari script

पृष्टावागमने हेतुं तमब्रूव शृणुष्व तत् । उज्जयिन्यां महीपालश्चाणक्योऽभूत्प्रतापवान्

Transliteration

pṛṣṭāvāgamane hetuṃ tamabrūva śṛṇuṣva tat | ujjayinyāṃ mahīpālaścāṇakyo'bhūtpratāpavān

Translation

ഞങ്ങളുടെ വരവിന്റെ കാരണം ചോദിക്കപ്പെട്ടപ്പോൾ ഞങ്ങൾ അവനോട് പറഞ്ഞു—“ഇത് കേൾക്കുക. ഉജ്ജയിനിയിൽ ചാണക്യനെന്ന പേരിൽ പ്രതാപശാലിയും പ്രസിദ്ധനുമായ ഒരു രാജാവ് ഉണ്ടായിരുന്നു.”

Word by Word

• पृष्टौ: (they two) having been asked
• पृष्टौ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पृच्छ् (धातु) → पृष्ट (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle) ‘asked’; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन; English: PPP, masculine nominative dual

• आगमने: regarding (their) coming/arrival
• आगमने: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आ-गम् (धातु) → आगमन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; English: neuter locative singular

• हेतुम्: the reason
• हेतुम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हेतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; English: masculine accusative singular

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; English: pronoun accusative singular

• अब्रूव: said
• अब्रूव: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लुङ्-लकारः (अनद्यतनभूत), परस्मैपदम्; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; छान्दस/वैदिक रूप ‘अब्रूव’ = ‘अब्रवीत्’; English: aorist, 3rd person singular, active

• शृणुष्व: listen
• शृणुष्व: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकारः (आज्ञार्थ), आत्मनेपदम्; मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; English: imperative, 2nd person singular, middle

• तत्: that (matter)
• तत्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; English: neuter accusative singular

• उज्जयिन्याम्: in Ujjayinī
• उज्जयिन्याम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उज्जयिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; English: feminine locative singular

• महीपालः: a king (protector of the earth)
• महीपालः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही (प्रातिपदिक) + पाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (महीम् पालयति/महीपालः); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; English: masculine nominative singular

• चाणक्यः: Cāṇakya
• चाणक्यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चाणक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; English: masculine nominative singular

• अभूत्: was/became
• अभूत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लुङ्-लकारः (अनद्यतनभूत), परस्मैपदम्; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; English: aorist, 3rd person singular, active

• प्रतापवान्: mighty, valorous
• प्रतापवान्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रताप (प्रातिपदिक) + वत् (मतुप्/वतुप्)
• Form: मतुप्/वतुप्-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; English: adjective, masculine nominative singular

Speaker

Yama (speaking to the two narrating visitors, within the Revā Khaṇḍa story)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ujjayinī (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: The arriving petitioners/messengers (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Yama’s interlocutor begins a tale: the camera shifts from the dark court of Yama to luminous Ujjayinī—palace silhouettes, city gates, and a king introduced by name.

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Ujjayinī (Ujjain)
• Cāṇakya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The narrative pivots from cosmic judgment to worldly governance, implying that a ruler’s dharma and deeds are inseparable from ultimate accountability.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ujjayinī (Ujjain) is explicitly mentioned, a प्रमुख sacred city of Āvantya associated with Purāṇic sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it introduces a historical-legendary account centered on Ujjayinī and its ruler.