Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

एतद्विस्तरतस्तात कथयस्व ममानघ । शृण्वतश्च न तृप्तिर्मे कथामृतमनुत्तमम्

Transliteration

etadvistaratastāta kathayasva mamānagha | śṛṇvataśca na tṛptirme kathāmṛtamanuttamam

Translation

ഹേ താതാ, ഹേ നിർമലനേ! ഇതെല്ലാം എനിക്ക് വിശദമായി പറയുക. ഞാൻ കേൾക്കുമ്പോഴും തൃപ്തിയാകുന്നില്ല; ഈ അനുത്തമ കഥാമൃതം ഒരിക്കലും മതി വരില്ല.

Word by Word

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विस्तरतः: in detail
• विस्तरतः: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विस्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त/ablatival adverb)

• तात: dear father/sir
• तात: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• कथयस्व: tell (please)
• कथयस्व: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथय् (धातु, णिच्)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मम: to me/of me
• मम: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• अनघ: O sinless one
• अनघ: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनघ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• शृण्वतः: of (me) listening
• शृण्वतः: Sambandha (Genitive of experiencer)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रु (धातु) → शृण्वत् (कृदन्त, शतृ)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान-कृदन्त (present participle), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• तृप्तिः: satiation/satisfaction
• तृप्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तृप्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मे: my/for me
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन (enclitic)

• कथामृतम्: nectar-like story
• कथामृतम्: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate noun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथा+अमृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारय-प्रायः (कथा-रूपम् अमृतम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अनुत्तमम्: unsurpassed
• अनुत्तमम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (कथामृतम्)

Speaker

Yudhiṣṭhira (to Mārkaṇḍeya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mārkaṇḍeya (addressed as tāta/anagha)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Yudhiṣṭhira, eager and unsated, implores the sage to narrate in full detail; the atmosphere is intimate, reverent, and charged with devotional listening.

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Mārkaṇḍeya (addressed)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Eager listening to sacred narrative (kathā-śravaṇa) is itself devotional discipline and a purifier of the heart.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kuṇḍaleśvara is the subject whose māhātmya story is being requested in detail.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śravaṇa (listening) and detailed kathā recitation are upheld as spiritually beneficial practices.