Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

युधिष्ठिर उवाच । तस्य तीर्थस्य माहात्म्यं श्रोतुमिच्छामि तत्त्वतः । भ्रातृभिः सहितः सर्वैस्तथान्यैर्द्विजसत्तमैः

Transliteration

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | tasya tīrthasya māhātmyaṃ śrotumicchāmi tattvataḥ | bhrātṛbhiḥ sahitaḥ sarvaistathānyairdvijasattamaiḥ

Translation

ยุธิษฐิระกล่าวว่า: ข้าพเจ้าปรารถนาจะฟังมหาตมยะอันแท้จริงของทีรถะนั้นโดยพิสดาร—พร้อมด้วยพี่น้องทั้งปวง และพร้อมด้วยพราหมณ์ผู้ประเสริฐอื่นๆ ด้วย

Word by Word

• युधिष्ठिरः: Yudhiṣṭhira
• युधिष्ठिरः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम्; व्यक्तिनाम

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (Speech act/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुषः (3rd), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• तस्य: of that
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive/6th), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• तीर्थस्य: of the tīrtha
• तीर्थस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive/6th), एकवचनम्

• माहात्म्यम्: greatness, glory
• माहात्म्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम्

• श्रोतुम्: to hear
• श्रोतुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्तम् (Infinitive/तुमन्त), अव्ययवत्; अर्थः—कर्तुम्/इच्छार्थे

• इच्छामि: I wish
• इच्छामि: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष्/इच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), उत्तम-पुरुषः (1st), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• तत्त्वतः: in truth, accurately
• तत्त्वतः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्तम् अव्ययम् (adverbial ablative: 'from the truth' → 'truly/accurately')

• भ्रातृभिः: with (my) brothers
• भ्रातृभिः: Sahakāraka (Association/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भ्रातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचनम्

• सहितः: accompanied
• सहितः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सहित (प्रातिपदिक; √सह् + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम्; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle) विशेषणम्

• सर्वैः: all
• सर्वैः: Sahakāraka (Association/सह)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम् (भ्रातृभिः इति)

• तथा: and also
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम् (adverb/conjunction: 'and also/likewise')

• अन्यैः: with other
• अन्यैः: Sahakāraka (Association/सह)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• द्विज-सत्तमैः: with the best of the twice-born (brahmins)
• द्विज-सत्तमैः: Sahakāraka (Association/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचनम्; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (द्विजानां सत्तमाः)

Speaker

Yudhiṣṭhira

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śukla-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mārkaṇḍeya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Yudhiṣṭhira seated respectfully with the Pāṇḍavas and assembled brāhmaṇa-sages, requesting the full truth of the tīrtha’s greatness from Mārkaṇḍeya.

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Brothers (Pāṇḍavas, implied)
• Dvija-sattama (foremost brāhmaṇas)
• Śukla-tīrtha (referenced)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Approaching tīrtha-glories with sincere inquiry and in the company of the righteous is itself a dhārmic act.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śukla-tīrtha is the subject being requested for detailed glorification.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; the verse frames a listening (śravaṇa) context for receiving the tīrtha-māhātmya.