Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । एष प्रश्नो महाराज यस्त्वया परिपृच्छितः । तत्सर्वं कथयिष्यामि शृणुष्वैकमना नृप

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | eṣa praśno mahārāja yastvayā paripṛcchitaḥ | tatsarvaṃ kathayiṣyāmi śṛṇuṣvaikamanā nṛpa

Translation

ศรีมารกัณฑेयกล่าวว่า: โอ้มหาราช คำถามที่ท่านได้ทูลถามนั้น ข้าพเจ้าจะเล่าทั้งหมดให้ฟัง ขอพระองค์ทรงสดับด้วยจิตแน่วแน่เถิด

Word by Word

• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: the venerable Mārkaṇḍeya
• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री + मार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: कर्मधारय (श्रीमान् मार्कण्डेयः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (√वच् धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• एषः: this
• एषः: Karta/Predicate qualifier
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (प्रश्नः-विशेषण)

• प्रश्नः: question
• प्रश्नः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रश्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• महाराज: O great king
• महाराज: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: कर्मधारय (महान् राजा), पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• यः: which
• यः: Karta (Relative subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana (Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• परिपृच्छितः: has been asked
• परिपृच्छितः: Kriya (Relative clause predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-प्रच्छ् (√प्रच्छ् धातु; क्त/कृदन्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि—‘has been asked’

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (सर्वम्-विशेषण)

• सर्वम्: all (of it)
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• कथयिष्यामि: I will tell
• कथयिष्यामि: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ् (√कथ् धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• शृणुष्व: listen
• शृणुष्व: Kriya (Command)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (√श्रु धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद (शृणुṣ्व)

• एकमना: O single-minded one
• एकमना: Sambodhana (Qualifier in address)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक + मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: बहुव्रीहि (एकं मनः यस्य सः), पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; विशेषण (नृप-विशेषण)

• नृप: O king
• नृप: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mārkaṇḍeya raises a hand in teaching gesture; Yudhiṣṭhira sits with folded hands, eyes lowered in concentration; a palm-leaf manuscript rests nearby, signaling authoritative narration.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Yudhiṣṭhira

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Single-pointed listening (ekāgratā in śravaṇa) is presented as the proper vessel for receiving tīrtha-māhātmya and dharmic history.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Indirectly, Bhṛgu-tīrtha/Vṛṣakhāta—since the narration about it is being promised.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Attentive listening with a focused mind (ekamanasā śravaṇa).