Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

क्रीडनार्थं गताः सर्वे सोपाध्याया युधिष्ठिर । ततः स्मृत्वा पणं सर्वे भाषयित्वा विधानतः

Transliteration

krīḍanārthaṃ gatāḥ sarve sopādhyāyā yudhiṣṭhira | tataḥ smṛtvā paṇaṃ sarve bhāṣayitvā vidhānataḥ

Translation

ഹേ യുധിഷ്ഠിരാ, എല്ലാവരും ഉപാധ്യായനോടൊപ്പം കളിക്കാനായി പോയി; പിന്നെ പണം ഓർത്ത്, വിധിപൂർവം വീണ്ടും പ്രസ്താവിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• क्रीडनार्थम्: for the purpose of playing
• क्रीडनार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्रीडन (प्रातिपदिक; √क्रीड् धातोः भाव) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमास; द्वितीया-एकवचनरूपेण क्रियाविशेषणम् (purpose adverbial)

• गताः: went, having gone
• गताः: Karta (Predicate of subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle) ‘गत’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• सोपाध्यायाः: together with (their) teacher
• सोपाध्यायाः: Karta (Subject apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स (सह-अर्थ) + उपाध्याय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘स-’ उपसर्गवत् = ‘with the teacher’

• युधिष्ठिर: O Yudhiṣṭhira
• युधिष्ठिर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• ततः: then
• ततः: Adhikarana (Temporal/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक)

• स्मृत्वा: having remembered
• स्मृत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययभाव (Gerund)

• पणम्: the wager, stake
• पणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• भाषयित्वा: having spoken/declared
• भाषयित्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भाष् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त (Gerund) पररूपम् ‘भाषयित्वा’ (causative/णिच्-आभासः); अर्थ: भाषित्वा/उक्त्वा

• विधानतः: according to the prescribed rule
• विधानतः: Kriya-visheshana (Manner/रीति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb) = ‘विधानात्’ (according to rule)

Speaker

Narrative speaker not explicit in excerpt (addressing Yudhiṣṭhira)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Narmadā (Revā)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Students and their teacher gather before play; one recites the wager terms formally; Yudhiṣṭhira is addressed in the frame, suggesting a storyteller speaking to him.

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Upādhyāya
• Paṇa (wager)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even playful acts must remain within dharma—promises and wagers are to be reaffirmed and honored correctly.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The wider Revā (Narmadā) setting continues, though this verse emphasizes ethical procedure rather than site-praise.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A procedural element: declaring and conducting the pledge/wager ‘according to rule’ (vidhānataḥ).