Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 45

Devanagari script

एतच्छ्रुत्वा तु देवेशः प्रहसन्प्रत्युवाच ताम् । वेदवाक्ये पुराणार्थे स्मृत्यर्थे द्विजभाषिते

Transliteration

etacchrutvā tu deveśaḥ prahasanpratyuvāca tām | vedavākye purāṇārthe smṛtyarthe dvijabhāṣite

Translation

ครั้นได้สดับดังนั้น พระผู้เป็นเจ้าแห่งเทวะทรงแย้มสรวลแล้วตรัสตอบนาง—อาศัยถ้อยคำแห่งพระเวท ความมุ่งหมายแห่งปุราณะ เจตนาแห่งสมฤติ และวาจาของทวิชผู้รู้

Word by Word

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

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु) + त्वा (प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वकाल (having heard)

• तु: then; indeed
• तु: Avyaya (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• देवेशः: Lord of the gods
• देवेशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः ‘देवानाम् ईशः’ (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• प्रहसन्: smiling/laughing
• प्रहसन्: Karta (Agent participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-हस् (धातु) + शतृ (प्रत्यय)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (present participle, शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तरि

• प्रत्युवाच: replied
• प्रत्युवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति-उप-√वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• ताम्: to her; her
• ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• वेदवाक्ये: in the Vedic statement
• वेदवाक्ये: Adhikarana (Location/Domain)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद + वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः ‘वेदस्य वाक्यम्’ (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• पुराणार्थे: in the meaning of the Purāṇa
• पुराणार्थे: Adhikarana (Location/Domain)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुराण + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः ‘पुराणस्य अर्थः’ (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• स्मृत्यर्थे: in the meaning of Smṛti
• स्मृत्यर्थे: Adhikarana (Location/Domain)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्मृति + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः ‘स्मृतेः अर्थः’ (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• द्विजभाषिते: in what is spoken by the twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विजभाषिते: Adhikarana (Location/Domain)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + भाषित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः ‘द्विजैः भाषितम्’ (तृतीया-तत्पुरुष/करण-सम्बन्ध)

Speaker

Śiva (Deveśa)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: (primary audience, implicit)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva smiles gently (prahasan) and begins a didactic reply; symbolic scrolls or palm-leaf manuscripts representing Veda, Purāṇa, Smṛti appear as motifs around them.

Characters & Entities

• Deveśa (Śiva)
• Veda
• Purāṇa
• Smṛti
• Dvija

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic tīrtha-glories are framed as consistent with Veda, Smṛti, and learned tradition—dharma rests on authoritative teaching.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching supports the Revā/Narmadā tīrtha-context by grounding its mahātmya in scriptural authority.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it establishes the pramāṇa (authoritative sources) for understanding ritual efficacy.