Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

राजोवाच । किं दृष्टं भवता ब्रह्मन्नाश्चर्यं पथि कुत्र वा । तन्ममाख्याहि येनाहं कृतकृत्यत्वमाप्नुयाम्

Transliteration

rājovāca | kiṃ dṛṣṭaṃ bhavatā brahmannāścaryaṃ pathi kutra vā | tanmamākhyāhi yenāhaṃ kṛtakṛtyatvamāpnuyām

Translation

രാജാവ് പറഞ്ഞു—ഹേ ബ്രാഹ്മണാ, നീ വഴിയിൽ എവിടെ, എന്ത് അത്ഭുതമാണ് കണ്ടത്? അത് എനിക്ക് പറയുക; അതിലൂടെ ഞാനും കൃതകൃത്യാവസ്ഥ പ്രാപിക്കട്ടെ.

Word by Word

• rājā: the king
• rājā: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्शभूत/perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• kim: what
• kim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; interrogative

• dṛṣṭam: seen
• dṛṣṭam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dṛś (धातु) → dṛṣṭa (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; here as predicate with kim: 'what (was) seen'

• bhavatā: by you
• bhavatā: Kartr̥ (Agent in passive/कर्तृ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; honorific pronoun 'by you'

• brahman: O Brahmin
• brahman: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• āścaryam: a wonder
• āścaryam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āścarya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• pathi: on the road
• pathi: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pathin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• kutra: where
• kutra: Adhikarana (Location-query/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kutra (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्न-अव्यय (interrogative adverb of place)

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपात (disjunctive particle)

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; 'that'

• mama: to me; my
• mama: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; genitive

• ākhyāhi: tell; explain
• ākhyāhi: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-khyā (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ/imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• yena: by which; so that
• yena: Hetu/Upaya (Means/उपाय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; instrumental relative 'by which/so that'

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• kṛta-kṛtyatvam: the state of having accomplished one’s duty
• kṛta-kṛtyatvam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + kṛtya (प्रातिपदिक) + -tva (तद्धित)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कृतं कृत्यम् यस्य भावः), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• āpnuyām: may attain
• āpnuyām: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: āp (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (potential/optative), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Rājā (the King)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Gautama (addressed as brāhmaṇa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king, seated respectfully, questions a brāhmaṇa sage about a wondrous sight on the road, seeking guidance to attain life’s fulfillment.

Characters & Entities

• King (Rājā)
• Brāhmaṇa (sage, Gautama implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A ruler seeks dharma by learning from realized sages, aspiring not merely for power but for life’s true completion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Indirectly Gokarṇa, since the wonder is connected to the sage’s return from there.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a request for instruction that may lead to dharmic practice.