Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

स्थितानि कानि भूतानि गतान्येव महामुने । एतत्सर्वं महाभाग कथयस्व पृथक्पृथक्

Transliteration

sthitāni kāni bhūtāni gatānyeva mahāmune | etatsarvaṃ mahābhāga kathayasva pṛthakpṛthak

Translation

ഹേ മഹാമുനേ! ഏതു ജീവികൾ നിലനിൽക്കുന്നു, ഏതു ജീവികൾ വിട്ടുപോയി? ഹേ മഹാഭാഗാ! ഇതെല്ലാം ഓരോന്നായി വ്യക്തമായി പറയുക।

Word by Word

• स्थितानि: remaining, staying
• स्थितानि: Karma (as predicate to 'भूतानि')
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) → स्थित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण (past participle, neuter nom/acc plural; adjective)

• कानि: which (ones)
• कानि: Karma (Interrogative complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन (neuter, nominative/accusative, plural)

• भूतानि: beings
• भूतानि: Karma (Object of implied 'tell')
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन (neuter, nominative/accusative, plural)

• गतानि: gone, departed
• गतानि: Karma (as predicate to 'भूतानि')
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गम् (धातु) → गत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण (past participle, neuter nom/acc plural; adjective)

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• महामुने: O great sage
• महामुने: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महामुनि (प्रातिपदिक; महा + मुनि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन (masculine, vocative, singular)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter, nominative/accusative, singular)

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Karma (Qualifier of object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (neuter, nominative/accusative, singular; adjective)

• महाभाग: O fortunate one
• महाभाग: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाभाग (प्रातिपदिक; महा + भाग)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन (masculine, vocative, singular)

• कथयस्व: tell, explain
• कथयस्व: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (imperative, 2nd person, singular, parasmaipada)

• पृथक्: separately
• पृथक्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पृथक् (अव्यय)
• Form: रीतिवाचक-अव्यय (adverb)

• पृथक्: one by one
• पृथक्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पृथक् (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरुक्ति (emphatic repetition); रीतिवाचक-अव्यय (adverb)

Speaker

Dharmarāja (Yama)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Dharmarāja (or a noble questioner) respectfully addressing a great sage in an assembly; gestures of inquiry; sages seated in semicircle; atmosphere of attentive silence.

Characters & Entities

• Dharmarāja
• Mahāmuni (sage)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma begins with careful inquiry—seeking clear, ordered knowledge about life, death, and cosmic change.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse is part of the Revā Khaṇḍa framework (Narmadā/Revā sacred geography), but this particular line functions as a doctrinal question rather than a direct tīrtha-praise.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it sets up a teaching by requesting a detailed explanation.