Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 62

Devanagari script

मार्कण्डेय उवाच । ततः कौतूहलधरो भगवान्वृषभध्वजः । पप्रच्छ व्रतिनः सर्वान्वृत्तिभेदे व्यवस्थितान्

Transliteration

mārkaṇḍeya uvāca | tataḥ kautūhaladharo bhagavānvṛṣabhadhvajaḥ | papraccha vratinaḥ sarvānvṛttibhede vyavasthitān

Translation

มารกัณฑेयกล่าวว่า: ครั้นแล้ว พระผู้เป็นเจ้า ผู้มีธงวัว (พระศิวะ) ผู้ทรงความพิศวง ได้ซักถามบรรดาผู้ทรงพรตทั้งปวง ผู้ตั้งมั่นในวิถีเลี้ยงชีพและจริยาวัตรที่แตกต่างกัน

Word by Word

• मार्कण्डेयः: Mārkaṇḍeya
• मार्कण्डेयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mārkaṇḍeya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; काल/क्रमवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal/sequential adverb)

• कौतूहलधरः: bearing curiosity; curious
• कौतूहलधरः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kautūhala (प्रातिपदिक) + धर (कृदन्त, धृ-धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष (कौतूहलं धरति इति)

• भगवान्: the Blessed Lord
• भगवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhagavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वृषभध्वजः: (Śiva) whose banner is the bull
• वृषभध्वजः: Apposition (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛṣabha (प्रातिपदिक) + dhvaja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (वृषभस्य ध्वजः यस्य)

• पप्रच्छ: asked
• पप्रच्छ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• व्रतिनः: votaries; observers of vows
• व्रतिनः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vratin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• सर्वान्: all
• सर्वान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• वृत्तिभेदे: in the division of modes of life/observances
• वृत्तिभेदे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛtti (प्रातिपदिक) + bheda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (वृत्तेः भेदः)

• व्यवस्थितान्: situated/established
• व्यवस्थितान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + अव + स्था (धातु) → व्यवस्थित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha milieu (contextual)

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva (Vṛṣabhadhvaja) seated in an ascetic yet regal posture, surrounded by groups of vratins distinguished by simple emblems of their disciplines; he leans forward in inquiry as sages stand attentive.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Śiva (Vṛṣabhadhvaja)
• Vratins (vow-keepers)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even exalted spirituality includes discernment—Śiva examines how vows align with one’s actual conduct and livelihood.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse functions as narrative transition within Revākhaṇḍa; the tīrtha-frame is the Revā sacred region rather than a named spot here.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific ritual; it introduces an inquiry into differing vṛttis and vrata-practices.