Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

संवर्तस्तान्पुनः प्राह मार्कंडेयमुखानिति । विशल्यः पंथाः क्षुधितोऽहं पुनः पुरीम् । भिक्षार्थं पर्यटिष्यामि प्रश्रं प्रब्रूत चैव मे

Transliteration

saṃvartastānpunaḥ prāha mārkaṃḍeyamukhāniti | viśalyaḥ paṃthāḥ kṣudhito'haṃ punaḥ purīm | bhikṣārthaṃ paryaṭiṣyāmi praśraṃ prabrūta caiva me

Translation

അപ്പോൾ സംവർതൻ മാർകണ്ഡേയാദി മുനിമാരോടു വീണ്ടും പറഞ്ഞു— “പാത നിർഭയം; ഞാൻ വിശപ്പിലാണ്, അതിനാൽ ഭിക്ഷാർത്ഥം വീണ്ടും നഗരത്തിലേക്കു പോകും. നിങ്ങളുടെ ചോദ്യം കൂടി എനിക്ക് വ്യക്തമായി പറയുക।”

Word by Word

• saṃvartaḥ: Saṃvarta (name)
• saṃvartaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃvarta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• tān: them
• tān: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• punaḥ: again
• punaḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• prāha: said
• prāha: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ah (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• mārkaṇḍeya-mukhān: those headed by Mārkaṇḍeya
• mārkaṇḍeya-mukhān: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mārkaṇḍeya (प्रातिपदिक) + mukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (mārkaṇḍeya-ādi-mukhāḥ = ‘headed by Mārkaṇḍeya’); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; वाक्य-समाप्ति/उद्धरणसूचक (quotative particle)

• viśalyaḥ: free from pain/without a thorn (untroubled)
• viśalyaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: viśalya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• panthāḥ: the path/road
• panthāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pathin/panthan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• kṣudhitaḥ: hungry
• kṣudhitaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṣudhita (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-विशेषण)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle) √kṣudh/√kṣudhāy (to be hungry); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• punaḥ: again
• punaḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• purīm: to the city
• purīm: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: purī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• bhikṣā-artham: for alms
• bhikṣā-artham: Prayojana (Purpose)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bhikṣā (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; द्वितीया-एकवचनरूपेण प्रयुक्तम्, क्रियार्थ-प्रयोजनार्थक-अव्ययीभाववत् (purpose: ‘for the sake of alms’)

• paryaṭiṣyāmi: I will wander about
• paryaṭiṣyāmi: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pari-√aṭ (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• praśram: a question (request)
• praśram: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: praśra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; (अर्थतः ‘प्रश्नम्’/‘प्रश्नं’ इत्यर्थे)

• prabrūta: tell (you all)
• prabrūta: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√brū (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

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

• eva: indeed/just
• eva: Avadhāraṇa (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• me: to me
• me: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम; चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th) एकवचन (enclitic)

Speaker

Saṃvarta

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mārkaṇḍeya and other sages (Mārkaṇḍeya-mukhāḥ)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A forest-side assembly of sages led by Mārkaṇḍeya; Saṃvarta, austere and calm, announces he will go to the city for alms and asks them to state their question clearly.

Characters & Entities

• Saṃvarta
• Mārkaṇḍeya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The sage’s life models simplicity and dependence on bhikṣā, while also urging clear, sincere inquiry for spiritual remedy.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is named yet; the verse prepares the request that soon asks for a tīrtha of supreme merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bhikṣā (seeking alms) is referenced as an ascetic practice; no formal vow or rite is prescribed.