Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

युधिष्ठिर उवाच । पिप्पलादस्य चरितं श्रोतुमिच्छाम्यहं विभो । माहात्म्यं तस्य तीर्थस्य यत्र सिद्धो महातपाः

Transliteration

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | pippalādasya caritaṃ śrotumicchāmyahaṃ vibho | māhātmyaṃ tasya tīrthasya yatra siddho mahātapāḥ

Translation

యుధిష్ఠిరుడు పలికెను—ఓ విభో, పిప్పలాదుని చరిత్రను నేను వినదలచుకున్నాను; అలాగే సిద్ధుడైన మహాతపస్వి ఉన్న ఆ తీర్థమహిమను కూడా చెప్పుము.

Word by Word

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

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पिप्पलादस्य: of Pippalāda
• पिप्पलादस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिप्पलाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• चरितम्: deeds/life-story
• चरितम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चरित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; चर् धातु, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्म

• श्रोतुम्: to hear
• श्रोतुम्: Prayojana (प्रयोजन/Purpose)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु) + तुमुन् (कृदन्त)
• Form: तुमुनन्त (infinitive), अव्ययभाव; प्रयोजन

• इच्छामि: I wish
• इच्छामि: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

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

• विभो: O mighty one
• विभो: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• माहात्म्यम्: greatness; sacred glory
• माहात्म्यम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्म

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

• तीर्थस्य: of the tīrtha
• तीर्थस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location—relative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बन्धबोधक-अव्यय (relative adverb: where)

• सिद्धः: accomplished
• सिद्धः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सिद्ध (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; सिध् धातु, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• महातपाः: of great austerity
• महातपाः: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (सिद्धः)

Speaker

Yudhiṣṭhira

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pippaleśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mārkaṇḍeya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Yudhiṣṭhira, seated respectfully, asks Mārkaṇḍeya to narrate Pippalāda’s life and the tīrtha’s greatness; behind them, a hinted silhouette of the Pippaleśvara shrine and pippala tree foreshadows the story.

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Pippalāda
• Tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A sincere seeker inquires into saintly lives and tīrtha-glories to understand dharma and cultivate devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha associated with Pippalāda—introduced immediately after as Pippaleśvara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite; it is a request to hear (śravaṇa) the māhātmya and biography.