Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

कथं केनात्र शक्यन्ते वक्तुं वर्षशतैरपि । तथाप्यत्र मुनिश्रेष्ठाः प्रोक्तं पार्थाय वै यथा

Transliteration

kathaṃ kenātra śakyante vaktuṃ varṣaśatairapi | tathāpyatra muniśreṣṭhāḥ proktaṃ pārthāya vai yathā

Translation

Bagaimanakah dan oleh siapakah semua ini dapat diucapkan di sini—walau dalam ratusan tahun? Namun begitu, wahai para muni yang utama, akan aku tuturkan di sini sebagaimana benar-benar telah diajarkan kepada Pārtha.

Word by Word

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Sambandha/Modifier (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक क्रियाविशेषण (interrogative adverb)

• केन: by whom / by what means
• केन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (locative adverb: here)

• शक्यन्ते: are possible, can be
• शक्यन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √शक् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive), आत्मनेपद

• वक्तुम्: to describe/say
• वक्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (infinitive): 'to speak'

• वर्ष-शतैः: by hundreds of years
• वर्ष-शतैः: Karana (Instrument/Measure/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'वर्षाणां शतानि' (hundreds of years)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha/Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (even/also)

• तथापि: nevertheless
• तथापि: Sambandha/Connector (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय) + अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोधार्थक (concessive: nevertheless)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक

• मुनि-श्रेष्ठाः: the best sages
• मुनि-श्रेष्ठाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय: 'श्रेष्ठा मुनयः'

• प्रोक्तम्: was spoken, was stated
• प्रोक्तम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र (उपसर्ग) + √वच् (धातु) → प्रोक्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि भावः (it was said)

• पार्थाय: to Pārtha (Arjuna)
• पार्थाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• यथा: as, just as
• यथा: Sambandha/Modifier (प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक/यथार्थक (as, in the manner that)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa/Sauti)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages (muni-śreṣṭhāḥ)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The narrator bows slightly, acknowledging the impossibility of full enumeration; behind him, a faint vision of Arjuna (Pārtha) receiving earlier instruction appears like a memory-panel; sages listen attentively.

Characters & Entities

• Pārtha
• Munis (sages)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Accept humble summaries as gateways: even brief tīrtha-teachings, when rooted in lineage, carry transformative merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha; the verse underscores the innumerable Narmadā tīrthas and the need to present them concisely.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a methodological note about narration.