Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

कथयिष्यामि भूनाथ यत्पृष्टं तु त्वयाऽनघ । नमस्कृत्य विरूपाक्षं वेदव्यासं महाकविम्

Transliteration

kathayiṣyāmi bhūnātha yatpṛṣṭaṃ tu tvayā'nagha | namaskṛtya virūpākṣaṃ vedavyāsaṃ mahākavim

Translation

ഹേ ഭൂനാഥാ, ഹേ അനഘാ! നിങ്ങൾ ചോദിച്ചതെല്ലാം ഞാൻ വിവരിക്കും—ആദ്യം ത്രിനേത്രനായ വിരൂപാക്ഷനെയും മഹാകവി വേദവ്യാസനെയും നമസ്കരിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• कथयिष्यामि: I will narrate
• कथयिष्यामि: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथय् (धातु; √कथ्-णिच्)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), परस्मैपदम्, उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन

• भूनाथ: O lord of the earth
• भूनाथ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक) + नाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘भूमेः नाथः’

• यत्: that which
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative)

• पृष्टम्: asked
• पृष्टम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रच्छ् (धातु) + त (क्त, कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन; ‘asked’

• तु: indeed; but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/विरोध/अन्वयार्थक निपात (particle)

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana (Agent-instrument in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, तृतीया एकवचन

• अनघ: O sinless one
• अनघ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनघ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन एकवचन; विशेषणरूपेण संबोधनम्

• नमस्कृत्य: having saluted
• नमस्कृत्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक) + कृ (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययीभावकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund)

• विरूपाक्षम्: Virūpākṣa (Śiva)
• विरूपाक्षम्: Karma (Object of salutation/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विरूप (प्रातिपदिक) + अक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः ‘विरूपे अक्षिणी यस्य सः’ (epithet of Śiva)

• वेदव्यासम्: Vedavyāsa
• वेदव्यासम्: Karma (Object of salutation/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक) + व्यास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘वेदानां व्यासः’

• महाकविम्: the great poet
• महाकविम्: Karma (Appositional object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + कवि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन; कर्मधारयः ‘महान् कविः’

Speaker

Vaiśaṃpāyana

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhūnatha (king) (implied by address)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vaiśaṃpāyana promises to narrate, first offering obeisance to Virūpākṣa (three-eyed Śiva) and to Vedavyāsa; a devotional preface before the pilgrimage account.

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśaṃpāyana
• Virūpākṣa (Śiva)
• Vedavyāsa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharmic narration begins with reverence—saluting Śiva and the guru-lineage that safeguards sacred history.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific site is named; it is an invocation that sanctifies the coming Revā tīrtha account.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Namaskāra (obeisance) to the deity (Śiva as Virūpākṣa) and to Vyāsa before recitation/teaching.