Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 5
Devanagari script
कथितुं वृद्धभावत्वादतीतो बहुकालिकः । संक्षेपात्तेन ते तात कथयामि निबोध मे
Transliteration
kathituṃ vṛddhabhāvatvādatīto bahukālikaḥ | saṃkṣepāttena te tāta kathayāmi nibodha me
Translation
वृद्धभावत्वाद् बहुकालोऽतीतः; अतः विस्तरेण कथयितुं न शक्नोमि। तस्मात्, तात, संक्षेपात् ते कथयामि—मम वचनं निबोध।
Word by Word
कथितुम्to narrate
कथितुम्:
Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
TypeVerb
Rootकथ्/कथय् (धातु)
Formतुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय-रूप (Infinitive): ‘to tell’
वृद्धभावत्वात्due to the state of old age
वृद्धभावत्वात्:
Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
TypeNoun
Rootवृद्ध-भाव-त्व (प्रातिपदिक; बहुपद-समासः)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थः (because of old age-state)
अतीतःhas passed/elapsed
अतीतः:
Kriya (Predicate participle/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootअति-इ (धातु)
Formक्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘passed/elapsed’
बहुकालिकःof a long time/lasting long
बहुकालिकः:
Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootबहु-कालिक (प्रातिपदिक; तत्पुरुषः)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying implied ‘time/period’)
संक्षेपात्briefly/in summary
संक्षेपात्:
Kriya-visheshana (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeNoun
Rootसंक्षेप (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे—‘briefly’ (from brevity)
तेनtherefore/for that reason
तेन:
Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formतृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; तस्मात्-हेतोः ‘therefore/for that reason’ (instrumental of cause)
तेto you/for you
ते:
Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
TypeNoun
Rootयुष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formचतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन (enclitic)
तातO dear one
तात:
Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
TypeNoun
Rootतात (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन
कथयामिI tell/narrate
कथयामि:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootकथय् (धातु; णिच्-प्रत्ययान्त)
Formलट् (Present), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन
निबोधunderstand/heed
निबोध:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootबुध् (धातु) + नि- (उपसर्ग)
Formलोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘understand/know’
मेmy/of me
मे:
Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootअस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formषष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (enclitic); ‘of me’ (often ‘my words’)
Speaker
Mārkaṇḍeya
Tirtha Mahatmya
Tirtha: Guhāvāsī (context)
Type: cave
Skanda Dialogue
Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira
Visual Art Cues
Scene: Aged Mārkaṇḍeya, serene yet visibly old, speaks kindly to Yudhiṣṭhira, indicating he will narrate briefly; the king leans forward in attentive humility.
Characters & Entities
M
MārkaṇḍeyaFAQs
Even a brief, faithful recounting of sacred history can transmit dharma when offered by a revered narrator.
Not named here; the verse introduces the upcoming account connected to Guhāvāsī.
None; it is a narration preface.