Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । हन्त ते कथयिष्यामि विचित्रं यत्पुरातनम् । वृत्तं स्वर्गसभामध्ये ऋषीणां भावितात्मनाम्

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | hanta te kathayiṣyāmi vicitraṃ yatpurātanam | vṛttaṃ svargasabhāmadhye ṛṣīṇāṃ bhāvitātmanām

Translation

శ్రీ మార్కండేయుడు పలికెను—హంత, నీకు నేను ఒక విచిత్రమైన పురాతన వృత్తాంతాన్ని చెప్పుదును. స్వర్గసభ మధ్య, నియతాత్ములైన ఋషుల మధ్య జరిగినది వినుము।

Word by Word

• śrīmārkaṇḍeyaḥ: Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya
• śrīmārkaṇḍeyaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī-mārkaṇḍeya (प्रातिपदिक; श्री + मार्कण्डेय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; संबोधन-रहित कर्तृपद (speaker name)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• hanta: indeed/come now
• hanta: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hanta (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्गार/निपात (interjection/particle)

• te: to you
• te: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया/चतुर्थी-एकवचन रूप (Accusative/Dative singular enclitic); अत्र चतुर्थी (सम्प्रदान) अधिकयुक्त

• kathayiṣyāmi: I will narrate
• kathayiṣyāmi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kathaya (धातु; कथयति—णिच् causative of √kath/√kathā)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• vicitram: wonderful/strange
• vicitram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vicitra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• yat: which
• yat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक यत्-शब्द

• purātanam: ancient
• purātanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: purātana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (यत्/विचित्रम् इत्यस्य)

• vṛttam: event/occurrence
• vṛttam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛtta (कृदन्त; √vṛt + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, ‘घटितम्/घटना’ अर्थे

• svargasabhāmadhye: in the midst of the assembly of heaven
• svargasabhāmadhye: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svarga-sabhā-madhya (प्रातिपदिक; स्वर्ग + सभा + मध्य)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; अधिकरण

• ṛṣīṇām: of the sages
• ṛṣīṇām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध

• bhāvitātmanām: of those whose selves are purified/controlled
• bhāvitātmanām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhāvita-ātman (कृदन्त+प्रातिपदिक; √bhū/√bhāv + क्त + आत्मन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; विशेषण (ऋषीणाम्)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhārata (addressed; typically Yudhiṣṭhira/royal interlocutor in purāṇic style)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous celestial assembly hall: seated ṛṣis with matted locks and deer-skins, Mārkaṇḍeya poised to narrate; subtle aura of Svarga with pillars, clouds, and divine light.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Svarga (heavenly court)
• Ṛṣis (sages)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred place-glories are grounded in timeless, authoritative narratives preserved by realized sages.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not yet; this verse introduces the backstory that will support the tīrtha’s greatness.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a narrative preface establishing provenance and authority.