Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

व्यास उवाच । भगवन्ब्रूहि तत्त्वेन कथं निर्बंधतो मुनिः । विश्वामित्रो निजं शिष्यं कौत्सं क्रोधेन तादृशम्

Transliteration

vyāsa uvāca | bhagavanbrūhi tattvena kathaṃ nirbaṃdhato muniḥ | viśvāmitro nijaṃ śiṣyaṃ kautsaṃ krodhena tādṛśam

Translation

వ్యాసుడు పలికెను—హే భగవన్, తత్త్వంగా చెప్పుము; కోపంతో ముని విశ్వామిత్రుడు తన శిష్యుడు కౌత్సుని అలా దృఢంగా ఎలా ఒత్తిడి చేశాడు?

Word by Word

• vyāsaḥ: Vyāsa
• vyāsaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vyāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — nominative singular

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect/लिट्), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन — ‘said’

• bhagavan: O Lord/Venerable one
• bhagavan: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhagavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन — vocative singular

• brūhi: tell (me)
• brūhi: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: brū (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative/लोट्), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन — ‘tell’

• tattvena: truly, in accordance with reality
• tattvena: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tattva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन — instrumental singular; प्रकार/रीतिवाचक (in truth)

• katham: how
• katham: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: katham (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक (interrogative adverb ‘how’)

• nirbandhataḥ: by insistence/insistently
• nirbandhataḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nirbandha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb) — ‘from insistence/insistently’

• muniḥ: the sage
• muniḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — nominative singular

• viśvāmitraḥ: Viśvāmitra
• viśvāmitraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśvāmitra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — nominative singular

• nijam: his own
• nijam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nija (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — accusative singular; विशेषण (qualifying śiṣyam)

• śiṣyam: disciple
• śiṣyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiṣya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — accusative singular

• kautsam: Kautsa
• kautsam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kautsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — accusative singular; apposition to śiṣyam

• krodhena: with anger
• krodhena: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: krodha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन — instrumental singular; हेतौ/साधने (by/with anger)

• tādṛśam: such (in that manner)
• tādṛśam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tādṛśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — accusative singular; विशेषण (qualifying kautsam/śiṣyam)

Speaker

Vyāsa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ayodhyā (frame)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vyāsa, composed yet inquisitive, addresses Agastya with folded hands; behind them, an ashram grove with deer, water pot, and manuscripts; the question foreshadows a dramatic scene of Viśvāmitra pressing Kautsa.

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa
• Viśvāmitra
• Kautsa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Scriptural learning begins with sincere inquiry—asking for the true reason behind actions to understand dharma deeply.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The chapter belongs to Ayodhyā Māhātmya, but this opening verse is a narrative question rather than a site-description.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it introduces a doctrinal/narrative clarification request.