Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

वायोः सकाशाच्च मया तेनापि च महेश्वरात् । अशक्यत्वान्मनुष्याणां संक्षिप्तमृषिभिः पुरा

Transliteration

vāyoḥ sakāśācca mayā tenāpi ca maheśvarāt | aśakyatvānmanuṣyāṇāṃ saṃkṣiptamṛṣibhiḥ purā

Translation

ഞാൻ ഇത് വായുവിൽ നിന്ന് ലഭിച്ചു; അവനും മഹേശ്വരൻ (ശിവൻ) നിന്നാണ് ലഭിച്ചത്. മനുഷ്യർക്കു അത്യന്തം വിപുലമായതിനാൽ, പൂർവ്വ ഋഷിമാർ ഇതിനെ സംക്ഷിപ്തമാക്കി।

Word by Word

• वायोः: from Vāyu / of Vāyu
• वायोः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• सकाशात्: from the presence of
• सकाशात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सकाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः), पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; ‘सकाशात्’ = ‘from the presence of’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Instrument/Agent-in-passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; प्रथम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम

• तेन: by him / by that
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; निर्देशवाचक-सर्वनाम

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक-निपात (particle: ‘also/even’)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• महेश्वरात्: from Maheśvara (Śiva)
• महेश्वरात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन

• अशक्यत्वात्: due to impossibility
• अशक्यत्वात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ-शक्य (प्रातिपदिक; शक्-धातु से) + त्व (तद्धित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; भाववाचक-तद्धितान्त (abstract noun: ‘because of impossibility’)

• मनुष्याणाम्: of humans
• मनुष्याणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनुष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन

• संक्षिप्तम्: abridged, condensed
• संक्षिप्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + क्षिप् (धातु) + क्त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि (past passive participle)

• ऋषिभिः: by sages
• ऋषिभिः: Karana (Instrument/Agent-in-passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time: ‘formerly’)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira and ṛṣis (continuing assembly)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mārkaṇḍeya explains the lineage of the teaching: from Śiva to Vāyu to himself, and that ancient sages condensed the vast original for humans; visualized as a chain of figures passing a palm-leaf manuscript.

Characters & Entities

• Vāyu
• Śiva (Maheśvara)
• Ṛṣis

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Revelation is preserved through lineage and compassion—sages adapt vast truths into forms accessible for human uplift.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Indirectly supports the Revā/Narmadā teaching context by establishing its divine provenance.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it explains textual lineage and the reason for abridgment.