Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

युधिष्ठिर उवाच । ततस्त ऋषयः सर्वे महाभागास्तपोधनाः । गतास्तु परमं लोकं ततः किं जातमद्भुतम्

Transliteration

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | tatasta ṛṣayaḥ sarve mahābhāgāstapodhanāḥ | gatāstu paramaṃ lokaṃ tataḥ kiṃ jātamadbhutam

Translation

யுதிஷ்டிரன் கூறினான்—அந்தப் பெரும் பாக்கியமுடைய, தவவலிமை நிறைந்த முனிவர்கள் அனைவரும் பரமலோகத்திற்குச் சென்ற பின், அதன் பின்னர் என்ன அதிசயம் நிகழ்ந்தது?

Word by Word

• युधिष्ठिरः: Yudhiṣṭhira
• युधिष्ठिरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय; तद्-प्रातिपदिकात्)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable), अव्यय-प्रयोगः—क्रम/अनन्तर (then/thereafter)

• ते: those (they)
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• ऋषयः: sages
• ऋषयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifier) ऋषयः

• महाभागाः: greatly fortunate/noble
• महाभागाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाभाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण ऋषयः; समासः—महान् + भागः (great + fortune)

• तपोधनाः: rich in austerity
• तपोधनाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तपोधन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण ऋषयः; समासः—तपः + धन (austerity as wealth)

• गताः: (they) went/had gone
• गताः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) + गत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगः (used predicatively with subject)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेष (but/indeed)

• परमम्: highest/supreme
• परमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण लोकम्

• लोकम्: world/realm
• लोकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• ततः: then/thereupon
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय; तद्-प्रातिपदिकात्)
• Form: अव्यय; कारण/अनन्तरार्थ (thereupon/then)

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक (interrogative)

• जातम्: happened/arose
• जातम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु) + जात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भावे/कर्तरि (occurred/was born)

• अद्भुतम्: wonderful/marvelous
• अद्भुतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अद्भुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier) जातम्/किम्

Speaker

Yudhiṣṭhira

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīra-āśrama region

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mārkaṇḍeya (implied respondent in next verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A royal inquirer (Yudhiṣṭhira) respectfully asks a sage about what occurred after great ṛṣis departed to the highest realm; the background hints at a sacred riverbank hermitage atmosphere.

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Ṛṣis

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is learned through reverent inquiry—asking about sacred events sustains transmission of tīrtha-mahātmya.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The question arises within the Revā/Narmadā setting, preparing for events tied to the Narmadā tīrtha-region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a narrative question initiating the next teaching.