Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

अगस्त्य उवाच । अहो महदथाश्चर्य्यं विस्मयो मुनिसत्तम । दृष्ट्वा प्रभावं मेऽद्याभूदयोध्यायास्तपोधन

Transliteration

agastya uvāca | aho mahadathāścaryyaṃ vismayo munisattama | dṛṣṭvā prabhāvaṃ me'dyābhūdayodhyāyāstapodhana

Translation

അഗസ്ത്യൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഹേ മുനിശ്രേഷ്ഠാ, ഇതെത്ര മഹത്തായ അത്ഭുതം! ഹേ തപോധനാ, ഇന്ന് അയോധ്യയുടെ പ്രഭാവം കണ്ടപ്പോൾ എനിക്കുള്ളിൽ വിസ്മയം ഉദിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• अगस्त्यः: Agastya
• अगस्त्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अगस्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• अहो: ah! oh!
• अहो: Avyaya (Interjection)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अहो (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्गार (interjection)

• महत्: great
• महत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• अथ: then/indeed
• अथ: Avyaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अनुक्रम/अनन्तरार्थक (then/and now)

• आश्चर्यम्: wonder
• आश्चर्यम्: Karma/Predicative (Object/Complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्चर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विस्मयः: astonishment
• विस्मयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विस्मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मुनि-सत्तम: O best of sages
• मुनि-सत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक) + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (सत्तमः मुनिः)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), अव्ययभाव (having seen)

• प्रभावम्: power, glory
• प्रभावम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• अद्य: today/now
• अद्य: Kala-adhikarana (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• अभूत्: arose/occurred
• अभूत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लुङ्-लकार (Aorist/Past), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• अयोध्यायाः: of Ayodhya
• अयोध्यायाः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अयोध्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• तपोधन: O one rich in austerity
• तपोधन: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक) + धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (तपः धनं यस्य सः)

Speaker

Agastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ayodhyā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka-group (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Agastya responds with exclamation—marveling at Ayodhyā’s power; his face shows astonishment and devotional awe as he addresses Vyāsa, the great ascetic.

Characters & Entities

• Agastya
• Ayodhyā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Direct encounter with a holy place can awaken profound wonder that becomes the doorway to deeper inquiry and devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ayodhyā—praised for its extraordinary spiritual majesty (prabhāva).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse sets the devotional mood before details of pilgrimage practices are requested.