Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

नारायणं नमस्कृत्वा नरं चैव नरोत्तमम् । देवीं सरस्वतीं व्यासं ततो जयमुदीरयेत्

Transliteration

nārāyaṇaṃ namaskṛtvā naraṃ caiva narottamam | devīṃ sarasvatīṃ vyāsaṃ tato jayamudīrayet

Translation

ครั้นนอบน้อมแด่พระนารายณ์ และแด่นระผู้ประเสริฐยิ่ง; พร้อมทั้งถวายบังคมแด่พระแม่สรัสวตีและพระวยาสะแล้ว จึงควรเปล่งวาจา “ชัย!” เพื่อการเล่าเรื่องอันศักดิ์สิทธิ์

Word by Word

• नारायणम्: Nārāyaṇa
• नारायणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• नमस्कृत्वा: having saluted
• नमस्कृत्वा: Kriya (Gerundial/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् + कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having saluted)

• नरम्: Nara
• नरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle)

• नरोत्तमम्: the best of men
• नरोत्तमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; षष्ठी/तत्पुरुष (among men, the best)

• देवीम्: the Goddess
• देवीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• सरस्वतीम्: Sarasvatī
• सरस्वतीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस्वती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• व्यासम्: Vyāsa
• व्यासम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: Desha-Kala (Adverbial/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), क्रम/अनन्तर (thereafter)

• जयम्: victory (cry)
• जयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• उदीरयेत्: should utter/proclaim
• उदीरयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद् + ईर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (standard Purāṇic/Itihāsa maṅgala-śloka; deduced narrator voice)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Naimiṣa sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A reciter seated with palm-leaf manuscript; above/behind appear Nārāyaṇa and Nara as serene figures, Sarasvatī with vīṇā, and Vyāsa as the sage-author; the word ‘Jaya’ symbolically inscribed.

Characters & Entities

• Nārāyaṇa
• Nara
• Sarasvatī
• Vyāsa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred learning begins with humility and invocation—honoring the divine source, the rishis, and the power of speech.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single site; it is a universal opening benediction used before Purāṇic narration.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Namaskāra (salutation) and the utterance of “jaya” as an auspicious commencement for recitation.