Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

युधिष्ठिर उवाच । आश्चर्यमेतदखिलं कथितं भो द्विजोत्तम । विस्मयं परमापन्ना ऋषिसंघा मया सह

Transliteration

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | āścaryametadakhilaṃ kathitaṃ bho dvijottama | vismayaṃ paramāpannā ṛṣisaṃghā mayā saha

Translation

യുധിഷ്ഠിരൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഹേ ദ്വിജോത്തമാ! നിങ്ങൾ പറഞ്ഞ ഈ സമഗ്ര വൃത്താന്തം അത്യന്തം അത്ഭുതകരമാണ്; എനിക്കൊപ്പം ഋഷിസംഘം പരമ വിസ്മയത്തിൽ ആകപ്പെട്ടിരിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• युधिष्ठिरः: Yudhiṣṭhira
• युधिष्ठिरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• आश्चर्यम्: a wonder, marvel
• आश्चर्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्चर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'आश्चर्यम्' विशेषण

• अखिलम्: entire, complete
• अखिलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अखिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'आश्चर्यम्' विशेषण

• कथितम्: told, narrated
• कथितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कथित (कृदन्त, √कथ् (धातु) क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (past passive participle)

• भो: O!
• भो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भो (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बोधन-निपात (vocative particle)

• द्विज-उत्तम: O best of the twice-born (brāhmaṇa)
• द्विज-उत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (उत्तमः द्विजः)

• विस्मयम्: astonishment
• विस्मयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विस्मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• परम्: great, extreme
• परम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'विस्मयम्' विशेषण

• आपन्नाः: having attained, fallen into (a state of)
• आपन्नाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + √पद् (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; 'ऋषिसंघाः' विशेषण

• ऋषि-संघाः: assemblies of sages
• ऋषि-संघाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक) + संघ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ऋषीणां संघाः)

• मया: with me / by me
• मया: Sahakari (Associate/सहकारी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• सह: together with
• सह: Sahārtha (Accompaniment/सहार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: सहार्थक-अव्यय (postposition/adverb meaning 'together with')

Speaker

Yudhiṣṭhira

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvijottama/ṛṣi narrator (addressee)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Yudhiṣṭhira, seated in royal assembly, addresses the venerable dvijottama; surrounding sages show astonishment and reverence, indicating a narrative transition.

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Ṛṣis (sages)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True tīrtha-māhātmya evokes reverent wonder, preparing the listener for faith-driven practice rather than mere curiosity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā (Narmadā) sacred narrative just heard is being acknowledged as astonishing.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a dialogue marker expressing astonishment and validating the preceding māhātmya.