Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 60

Devanagari script

सुदेवमिति ख्यातं सर्वकर्मसु कोविदम् । एकदा तु समं तेन व्यवहारमचिन्तयत्

Transliteration

sudevamiti khyātaṃ sarvakarmasu kovidam | ekadā tu samaṃ tena vyavahāramacintayat

Translation

അവൻ ‘സുദേവൻ’ എന്നു പ്രസിദ്ധനും എല്ലാ പ്രവൃത്തികളിലും നിപുണനും ആയിരുന്നു. ഒരിക്കൽ അവനോടൊപ്പം സമമായി ചേർന്ന് വ്യാപാരസംരംഭം ആലോചിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• सुदेवम्: Sudeva (name)
• सुदेवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु-देव (प्रातिपदिक; कर्मधारय-समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेष्य-नाम

• इति: thus, as
• इति: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/वाक्य-समाप्ति सूचक अव्यय (quotative particle)

• ख्यातम्: known, famed
• ख्यातम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ख्या (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘प्रसिद्ध’ अर्थे

• सर्वकर्मसु: in all tasks/works
• सर्वकर्मसु: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारयार्थे)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), बहुवचन; अधिकरण

• कोविदम्: skilled, expert
• कोविदम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कोविद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; ‘निपुण’ अर्थे, सुदेवम् विशेषयति

• एकदा: once
• एकदा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एकदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb of time)

• तु: but, then
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; contrast/emphasis)

• समम्: equally, together
• समम्: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावे/क्रियाविशेषणरूपे नपुंसक-एकवचन (adverbial use)

• तेन: with him
• तेन: Sahakari (Associate/सहकारी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; सह/साधनार्थे

• व्यवहारम्: a business transaction, dealing
• व्यवहारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यवहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• अचिन्तयत्: he considered, planned
• अचिन्तयत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चिन्त् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; ‘अ’ आगम

Speaker

Narrator

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) context (implicit, Revākhaṇḍa narrative frame)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (typical frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two merchants in a marketplace or counting-house: Sudeva introduced as capable in all tasks, discussing a joint venture with a companion; ledgers, scales, bales of goods, and a distant hint of travel.

Characters & Entities

• Sudeva
• Vyavahāra (commerce)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly livelihood (vyavahāra) is acknowledged in Purāṇas, but its outcomes are framed by dharma and later moral consequences.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The ongoing itihāsa belongs to Bhārabhūti Tīrtha Māhātmya in the Revā Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse.