Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

कथितुं वृद्धभावत्वादतीतो बहुकालिकः । संक्षेपात्तेन ते तात कथयामि निबोध मे

Transliteration

kathituṃ vṛddhabhāvatvādatīto bahukālikaḥ | saṃkṣepāttena te tāta kathayāmi nibodha me

Translation

വാർദ്ധക്യം കാരണം ഏറെ കാലം കഴിഞ്ഞിരിക്കുന്നു; അതിനാൽ ഞാൻ ഇത് വിപുലമായി പറയാൻ കഴിയില്ല. അതുകൊണ്ട്, ഹേ പ്രിയനേ, ഞാൻ നിനക്കു സംക്ഷേപമായി പറയുന്നു—എന്റെ വാക്ക് മനസ്സിലാക്കുക।

Word by Word

• कथितुम्: to narrate
• कथितुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ्/कथय् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय-रूप (Infinitive): ‘to tell’

• वृद्धभावत्वात्: due to the state of old age
• वृद्धभावत्वात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृद्ध-भाव-त्व (प्रातिपदिक; बहुपद-समासः)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थः (because of old age-state)

• अतीतः: has passed/elapsed
• अतीतः: Kriya (Predicate participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अति-इ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘passed/elapsed’

• बहुकालिकः: of a long time/lasting long
• बहुकालिकः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु-कालिक (प्रातिपदिक; तत्पुरुषः)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying implied ‘time/period’)

• संक्षेपात्: briefly/in summary
• संक्षेपात्: Kriya-visheshana (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संक्षेप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे—‘briefly’ (from brevity)

• तेन: therefore/for that reason
• तेन: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; तस्मात्-हेतोः ‘therefore/for that reason’ (instrumental of cause)

• ते: to you/for you
• ते: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन (enclitic)

• तात: O dear one
• तात: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• कथयामि: I tell/narrate
• कथयामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथय् (धातु; णिच्-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन

• निबोध: understand/heed
• निबोध: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: बुध् (धातु) + नि- (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘understand/know’

• मे: my/of me
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (enclitic); ‘of me’ (often ‘my words’)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Guhāvāsī (context)

Type: cave

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Aged Mārkaṇḍeya, serene yet visibly old, speaks kindly to Yudhiṣṭhira, indicating he will narrate briefly; the king leans forward in attentive humility.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even a brief, faithful recounting of sacred history can transmit dharma when offered by a revered narrator.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not named here; the verse introduces the upcoming account connected to Guhāvāsī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a narration preface.