Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

युधिष्ठिर उवाच । कस्माद्वै व्यासतीर्थं तदन्तरिक्षे व्यवस्थितम् । एतदाख्याहि संक्षेपात्त्यज ग्रन्थस्य विस्तरम्

Transliteration

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | kasmādvai vyāsatīrthaṃ tadantarikṣe vyavasthitam | etadākhyāhi saṃkṣepāttyaja granthasya vistaram

Translation

യുധിഷ്ഠിരൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ആ വ്യാസതീർത്ഥം അന്തരീക്ഷമദ്ധ്യേ എന്തുകൊണ്ട് സ്ഥിതിചെയ്യുന്നു? ഇത് സംക്ഷേപമായി പറയുക; ഗ്രന്ഥവിസ്താരം വിട്ടുകളയുക।

Word by Word

• युधिष्ठिरः: Yudhiṣṭhira
• युधिष्ठिरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• कस्मात्: from what cause? why?
• कस्मात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha/Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• व्यासतीर्थम्: the Vyāsa-tīrtha (sacred ford of Vyāsa)
• व्यासतीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यास + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (demonstrative)

• अन्तरिक्षे: in the sky/atmosphere
• अन्तरिक्षे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तरिक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• व्यवस्थितम्: situated/established
• व्यवस्थितम्: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa / Predicate adjective
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + अव + स्था (धातु) → व्यवस्थित (कृदन्त-भूतकृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• एतत्: this (matter)
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• आख्याहि: tell/explain
• आख्याहि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + ख्या (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• संक्षेपात्: briefly, in short
• संक्षेपात्: Hetu/Adverbial (Manner)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संक्षेप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular); अव्ययीभावार्थे (in the sense of 'briefly')

• त्यज: leave/omit
• त्यज: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• ग्रन्थस्य: of the text
• ग्रन्थस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्रन्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• विस्तरम्: expansion/detail
• विस्तरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विस्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Yudhiṣṭhira

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vyāsa-tīrtha (antarikṣa-sthita)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mārkaṇḍeya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Yudhiṣṭhira, seated in a forest-āśrama setting, respectfully questions the sage about a mysterious ‘Vyāsa-tīrtha’ said to be poised in the mid-air; the atmosphere is contemplative, with subtle संकेत of an unseen sacred ford above the horizon.

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Vyāsa-tīrtha
• Antarikṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sincere inquiry into tīrtha-māhātmya is encouraged; understanding the ‘why’ deepens faith and practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vyāsa-tīrtha, specifically its unusual placement in antarikṣa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse requests a concise explanatory account (saṃkṣepa).