Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 69

Devanagari script

तस्याहं कथयिष्यामि स्थानैश्चिह्नैश्च लक्षितम् । शिखण्डिनाप्यहं तत्र ह्याहूतो ह्यवनीपते

Transliteration

tasyāhaṃ kathayiṣyāmi sthānaiścihnaiśca lakṣitam | śikhaṇḍināpyahaṃ tatra hyāhūto hyavanīpate

Translation

ସେହି ସ୍ଥାନଟିକୁ ଦେଶ‑ଚିହ୍ନ ଓ ଲକ୍ଷଣ ସହିତ ମୁଁ କହିଦେବି। ହେ ଅବନୀପତି, ସେଠାରେ ମଧ୍ୟ ଶିଖଣ୍ଡି ମୋତେ ଡାକିଥିଲେ।

Word by Word

• तस्य: of that/for him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• कथयिष्यामि: I will tell
• कथयिष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथय् (धातु, णिजन्त)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• स्थानैः: by/with places
• स्थानैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• चिह्नैः: by/with marks
• चिह्नैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चिह्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• लक्षितम्: marked/identified
• लक्षितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; 'तत्' (अर्थात् स्थानम्/मार्गः) इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• शिखण्डिना: by Śikhaṇḍin
• शिखण्डिना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिखण्डिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावना/अपि-समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (also/even)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• आहूतः: called/summoned
• आहूतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-ह्वा (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगः

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• अवनीपते: O king (lord of the earth)
• अवनीपते: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवनी (प्रातिपदिक) + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अवनेः पतिः)

Speaker

Kanyā (the maiden)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Unspecified Revā/Narmadā micro-tirtha identified by lakṣaṇas

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Avanīpati (king) addressed within the dialogue

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The maiden promises to describe the exact sacred spot by its landmarks; a remembered moment of being summoned by Śikhaṇḍin is evoked, suggesting a prior encounter tied to that locale.

Characters & Entities

• Śikhaṇḍin
• tīrtha (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred geography is transmitted through precise markers, making pilgrimage a disciplined, verifiable dharmic act.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A Narmadā-side tīrtha is being identified through signs; the specific landmarks are detailed in the next verses.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it introduces the practical identification of the tīrtha location.