Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 59

Devanagari script

अनसूयोवाच । किं व्यापारस्वरूपास्तु विष्णुरुद्रपितामहाः । एतद्वै श्रोतुमिच्छामि ह्यशेषं कथयन्तु मे

Transliteration

anasūyovāca | kiṃ vyāpārasvarūpāstu viṣṇurudrapitāmahāḥ | etadvai śrotumicchāmi hyaśeṣaṃ kathayantu me

Translation

อนสูยากล่าวว่า: “หน้าที่แท้และสภาวะของพระวิษณุ พระรุทระ และปิตามหะ (พระพรหม) คืออะไร? ข้าปรารถนาจะฟังให้ครบถ้วน—โปรดเล่าแก่ข้าโดยไม่ตกหล่น”

Word by Word

• अनसूया: Anasūyā
• अनसूया: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनसूया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

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

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; interrogative used adverbially

• व्यापार-स्वरूपाः: of what functional nature/role
• व्यापार-स्वरूपाः: Visheshana (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्यापार (प्रातिपदिक) + स्वरूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (व्यापारस्य स्वरूपाः); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; predicate adjective

• तु: indeed/then
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• विष्णु-रुद्र-पितामहाः: Viṣṇu, Rudra, and Pitāmaha (Brahmā)
• विष्णु-रुद्र-पितामहाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक) + रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Emphasis particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक-निपात (particle of emphasis)

• श्रोतुम्: to hear
• श्रोतुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त infinitive), अव्यय; English: to hear

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

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थक/निश्चयार्थक-निपात (particle: for/indeed)

• अशेषम्: entirely/without remainder
• अशेषम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial accusative/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; adverbial accusative qualifying कथयन्तु

• कथयन्तु: let them tell
• कथयन्तु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथय् (धातु, णिजन्त)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ/imperative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• मे: to me
• मे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी/चतुर्थी (6th/4th), एकवचन; enclitic; here dative sense (to me)

Speaker

Anasūyā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā/Narmadā-tīra

Type: tirtha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Anasūyā, composed after trembling, addresses the divine assembly with folded hands, asking about the distinct ‘vyāpāras’ of Viṣṇu, Rudra, and Brahmā; the scene shifts from spectacle to discourse.

Characters & Entities

• Anasūyā
• Viṣṇu
• Rudra
• Pitāmaha (Brahmā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma values inquiry: understanding the divine roles deepens devotion and right living.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā/Narmadā context frames the dialogue, implying the tīrtha as a place of revelation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a doctrinal question initiating theological exposition.