Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

निवेद्याकथयद्राज्ञे मया दृष्टं त्ववेक्षणात् । तापसानामाश्रमे तु माण्डव्यो यत्र तिष्ठति

Transliteration

nivedyākathayadrājñe mayā dṛṣṭaṃ tvavekṣaṇāt | tāpasānāmāśrame tu māṇḍavyo yatra tiṣṭhati

Translation

നിവേദനം ചെയ്ത് അവൻ രാജാവിനോട് പറഞ്ഞു—ഞാൻ സ്വയം നിരീക്ഷിച്ച് കണ്ടത് ഇതാണ്: തപസ്വികളുടെ ആശ്രമത്തിൽ, അവിടെ മാണ്ഡവ്യ മുനി വസിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• निवेद्य: having informed
• निवेद्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial modifier of main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-विद् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभावेन प्रयोगः; ‘निवेद्य’ = having informed

• अकथयत्: told
• अकथयत्: Kriya (Main action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd), एकवचनम् (sg)

• राज्ञे: to the king
• राज्ञे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचनम्

• मया: by me
• मया: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, त्रिलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचनम्

• दृष्टम्: seen
• दृष्टम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; कर्मरूपेण ‘seen’

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha-bodhaka (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थक

• अवेक्षणात्: from (my) observing
• अवेक्षणात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अव-ईक्ष् (धातु) + -ण (प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचनम्; भाववाचक-नाम

• तापसानाम्: of ascetics
• तापसानाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तापस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचनम्

• आश्रमे: in the hermitage
• आश्रमे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचनम्

• तु: and/indeed
• तु: Sambandha-bodhaka (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• माण्डव्यः: (sage) Māṇḍavya
• माण्डव्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माण्डव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचनम्

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Relative location marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, सम्बन्धबोधक-अव्यय (relative adverb of place)

• तिष्ठति: stays/stands
• तिष्ठति: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्

Speaker

City-guard / messenger reporting to the king (implied by narrative)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha-region (Revākhaṇḍa setting)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: rājā (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A messenger or courtier narrates to the king: a serene forest hermitage on the Narmadā’s bank, with Māṇḍavya seated in austerity amid ascetics; the king listens in a palace hall.

Characters & Entities

• King (rājā)
• Māṇḍavya
• Āśrama of ascetics (tāpasāśrama)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma requires careful witnessing and truthful reporting; justice should be grounded in observation rather than rumor.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

An ascetics’ āśrama associated with Māṇḍavya is referenced; the verse itself does not explicitly praise a named tīrtha, but situates the episode in sacred-ascetic space.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse concerns testimony and location (the āśrama).