Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

अयोध्यामाहात्म्यं प्रारभ्यते । जयति पराशरसूनुः सत्यवतीहृदयनंदनो व्यासः । यस्यास्यकमलगलितं वाङ्मयममृतं जगत्पिबति

Transliteration

ayodhyāmāhātmyaṃ prārabhyate | jayati parāśarasūnuḥ satyavatīhṛdayanaṃdano vyāsaḥ | yasyāsyakamalagalitaṃ vāṅmayamamṛtaṃ jagatpibati

Translation

ഇപ്പോൾ അയോധ്യാ-മാഹാത്മ്യം ആരംഭിക്കുന്നു। പരാശരപുത്രനും സത്യവതീഹൃദയാനന്ദനുമായ വ്യാസമഹർഷിക്ക് ജയം; അദ്ദേഹത്തിന്റെ മുഖകമലത്തിൽ നിന്ന് ഒഴുകുന്ന വാങ്മയാമൃതം ലോകം പാനം ചെയ്യുന്നു।

Word by Word

• अयोध्यामाहात्म्यम्: the greatness of Ayodhyā
• अयोध्यामाहात्म्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अयोध्या + माहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विषयः (topic)

• प्रारभ्यते: is begun
• प्रारभ्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-रभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः (passive/impersonal sense)

• जयति: is victorious
• जयति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जि (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• पराशरसूनुः: son of Parāśara
• पराशरसूनुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पराशर + सूनु (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तृपदम्

• सत्यवतीहृदयनन्दनः: delight of Satyavatī’s heart
• सत्यवतीहृदयनन्दनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्यवती + हृदय + नन्दन (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तृसमनाधिकरणम् (appositive)

• व्यासः: Vyāsa
• व्यासः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तृसमनाधिकरणम्

• यस्य: whose
• यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; सम्बन्धे

• आस्य: of (his) mouth
• आस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आस्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; सम्बन्धे

• कमल: lotus
• कमल: Adverbial (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कमल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; उपमान/विशेषणार्थे (as qualifier in compound)

• गलितम्: flowed forth
• गलितम्: Karta (Predicate adjective/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गल् (धातु) + क्त (कृत्प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• वाङ्मयम्: speech-literature
• वाङ्मयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक् + मयट् (प्रातिपदिक; तद्धित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; जगत्-पिबति इति कर्मपदम्

• अमृतम्: nectar-like
• अमृतम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अमृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; वाङ्मयस्य विशेषणम्

• जगत्: the world
• जगत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तृपदम्

• पिबति: drinks
• पिबति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Narratorial invocation (Ayodhyāmāhātmya opening maṅgala)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ayodhyā (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Assembly of sages (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A seated Vyāsa, radiant and austere, with palm-leaf manuscript and stylus; from his lotus-like mouth flows a stream of luminous nectar-letters that beings drink—sages, gods, and pilgrims—signifying Purāṇic wisdom as amṛta.

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa
• Parāśara
• Satyavatī
• Ayodhyā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Scriptural remembrance begins with reverence to the seer; Vyāsa’s revelation is portrayed as life-giving nectar for the world.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ayodhyā—introduced as the focus of the forthcoming māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An implicit prescription of maṅgala—beginning sacred recitation with auspicious invocation and homage.