Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । इति श्रुत्वा वचो धीमानादरात्कुंभजन्मनः । प्रोवाच मधुरं वाक्यं कृष्णद्वैपायनो मुनिः

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | iti śrutvā vaco dhīmānādarātkuṃbhajanmanaḥ | provāca madhuraṃ vākyaṃ kṛṣṇadvaipāyano muniḥ

Translation

ସୂତ କହିଲେ—କୁମ୍ଭଜନ୍ମା (ଅଗସ୍ତ୍ୟ) ମୁନିଙ୍କ ଜ୍ଞାନମୟ ବଚନ ଏପରି ଶୁଣି, କୃଷ୍ଣଦ୍ୱୈପାୟନ (ବ୍ୟାସ) ମୁନି ଆଦରପୂର୍ବକ ମଧୁର ବାଣୀ କହିଲେ।

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta (the narrator)
• सूतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

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

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-समाप्ति/इत्यर्थक अव्यय (quotative particle)

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• वचः: speech, words
• वचः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• धीमान्: the wise one
• धीमान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धीमत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आदरात्: out of respect
• आदरात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन; हेतौ/कारणे (from respect)

• कुम्भजन्मनः: of (Agastya) the pot-born
• कुम्भजन्मनः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुम्भ + जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; कुम्भे जन्म यस्य (of the one born from a pot)

• प्रोवाच: spoke forth
• प्रोवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; उपसर्ग: प्र-; परस्मैपद

• मधुरम्: sweet
• मधुरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मधुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying वाक्यम्)

• वाक्यम्: statement
• वाक्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कृष्णद्वैपायनः: Kṛṣṇa-Dvaipāyana (Vyāsa)
• कृष्णद्वैपायनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण + द्वैपायन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नाम (proper name)

• मुनिः: the sage
• मुनिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; उपपद-विशेष्य (apposition to कृष्णद्वैपायनः)

Speaker

Sūta

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: (implied) Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (standard Sūta frame; not named in this verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta narrates: Vyāsa, having respectfully heard Agastya’s words, begins to speak sweetly—two sages seated in a forest hermitage with disciples listening.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Agastya
• Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana (Vyāsa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverent listening to realized sages is presented as the doorway to receiving purāṇic wisdom about sacred places.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is a narrative transition within Ayodhyā Māhātmya; the specific tīrtha praise begins in the subsequent verses.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed here; it introduces the respectful dialogue that will describe tīrtha-merit.