Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

उत्तानपाद उवाच । कीदृशोऽथ विधिस्तत्र तीर्थश्राद्धस्य का क्रिया । दानं च दीयते यद्वत्तन्ममाख्याहि शङ्कर

Transliteration

uttānapāda uvāca | kīdṛśo'tha vidhistatra tīrthaśrāddhasya kā kriyā | dānaṃ ca dīyate yadvattanmamākhyāhi śaṅkara

Translation

Uttānapāda berkata: “Maka apakah tatacara yang benar di sana? Apakah upacara śrāddha di tīrtha itu? Dan bagaimana tepatnya dāna harus diberikan? Wahai Śaṅkara, jelaskan kepadaku.”

Word by Word

• उत्तानपाद: Uttānapāda (name)
• उत्तानपाद: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्तानपाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—उत्तान+पाद (उत्तानः पादः यस्य/नाम)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• कीदृशः: of what kind
• कीदृशः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कीदृश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक-विशेषण (interrogative adjective)

• अथ: then / now
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse link/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बन्ध/अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (conjunctive/then)

• विधिः: rule / procedure
• विधिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• तत्र: there / in that matter
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• तीर्थश्राद्धस्य: of the tīrtha-śrāddha (funeral rite at a sacred place)
• तीर्थश्राद्धस्य: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ+श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन; समासः—तीर्थे (performed at a sacred place) श्राद्धम्

• का: what
• का: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: किम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक-विशेषण

• क्रिया: rite / action
• क्रिया: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रिया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• दानम्: gift / charity
• दानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• दीयते: is given
• दीयते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• यद्वत्: as / in what manner
• यद्वत्: Prakāra (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यद्वत् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: 'as/how')

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• मम: to me / of me
• मम: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• आख्याहि: tell / explain
• आख्याहि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ+ख्या (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• शङ्कर: O Śaṅkara
• शङ्कर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शङ्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Uttānapāda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śūlabheda (introduced in subsequent verses)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaṅkara (Īśvara)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: King Uttānapāda, hands folded, questions Śaṅkara/Īśvara seated as an ascetic-lord; backdrop hints at riverbank pilgrimage setting.

Characters & Entities

• Uttānapāda
• Śaṅkara (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage rites are to be done with correct method and intention; seeking instruction from Śiva reflects humility before dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse refers generally to a tīrtha within the Revā Khaṇḍa (Narmadā sacred geography), preparing for the description of the rite.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A request for prescription: the proper vidhī (procedure) of tīrtha-śrāddha and the correct manner of giving dāna.