Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

विभक्तो भक्तलोकानामानन्दप्रथनः शुभः । मृकण्डतनयः पूर्वं प्राह पार्थाय पृच्छते

Transliteration

vibhakto bhaktalokānāmānandaprathanaḥ śubhaḥ | mṛkaṇḍatanayaḥ pūrvaṃ prāha pārthāya pṛcchate

Translation

ഭക്തജനസമൂഹത്തിൽ ആനന്ദം പരത്തുന്ന, ശുഭവും ഹിതകരവുമായ ഈ വിഷയങ്ങൾ മൃകണ്ഡുവിന്റെ പുത്രൻ (മാർക്കണ്ഡേയൻ) മുൻപ് ചോദിച്ച പാർഥനോട് പറഞ്ഞു.

Word by Word

• विभक्तः: divided/arranged
• विभक्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-भज् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle)

• भक्तलोकानाम्: of the devotee-people
• भक्तलोकानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्त (प्रातिपदिक) + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive); बहुवचन; समासः—भक्ताश्च ते लोकाः (कर्मधारय)

• आनन्दप्रथनः: spreading of bliss
• आनन्दप्रथनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आनन्द (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रथन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; समासः—आनन्दस्य प्रथनः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• शुभः: auspicious
• शुभः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• मृकण्डतनयः: the son of Mṛkaṇḍu
• मृकण्डतनयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृकण्डु (प्रातिपदिक) + तनय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; समासः—मृकण्डोः तनयः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• पूर्वम्: formerly/earlier
• पूर्वम्: Sambandha (Temporal/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्वम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (adverb of time)

• प्राह: said
• प्राह: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आह्/अह् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (perfect); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पार्थाय: to Pārtha (Arjuna)
• पार्थाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (4th/Dative); एकवचन

• पृच्छते: (who) asks/is asking
• पृच्छते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Sūta (narrating earlier tradition)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: ṛṣis (framing audience)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mārkaṇḍeya, son of Mṛkaṇḍa, speaks auspiciously to Pārtha (Arjuna) who asks; the teaching is portrayed as joy-giving to devotees.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Mṛkaṇḍa
• Pārtha (Arjuna)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage-wisdom is preserved through saintly transmission, intended to nourish devotees with auspicious joy.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not a single site; the verse frames the authority behind the Revā tīrtha teaching tradition.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it establishes the prior teaching context (Mārkaṇḍeya instructing Arjuna).