Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

साम्प्रतं श्रोतुमिच्छामि प्रभावं शार्ङ्गधन्वनः । त्वयानुभूतं विप्रेन्द्र तन्मे त्वं वक्तुमर्हसि

Transliteration

sāmprataṃ śrotumicchāmi prabhāvaṃ śārṅgadhanvanaḥ | tvayānubhūtaṃ viprendra tanme tvaṃ vaktumarhasi

Translation

บัดนี้ข้าพเจ้าปรารถนาจะสดับพระเดชานุภาพของผู้ทรงศรศารงคะ (พระวิษณุ) โอ้พราหมณ์ผู้ประเสริฐ ท่านได้ประสบด้วยตนแล้ว ฉะนั้นโปรดกรุณากล่าวแก่ข้าพเจ้าเถิด

Word by Word

• साम्प्रतम्: now
• साम्प्रतम्: Kāla (Temporal modifier/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साम्प्रतम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb: now/at present)

• श्रोतुम्: to hear
• श्रोतुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्यय (infinitive); ‘to hear’ (purpose)

• इच्छामि: I wish
• इच्छामि: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन (present indicative, 1st singular)

• प्रभावम्: the power/glory
• प्रभावम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन (masculine accusative singular)

• शार्ङ्गधन्वनः: of the wielder of Śārṅga (Viṣṇu)
• शार्ङ्गधन्वनः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शार्ङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + धन्वन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—शार्ङ्गं धनुः यस्य सः (बहुव्रीह्यर्थे प्रचलित नाम; form as genitive singular)

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (करण), एकवचन (instrumental singular: by you)

• अनुभूतम्: experienced
• अनुभूतम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनु-भू (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (PPP); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण—‘experienced’ (neuter accusative singular agreeing with प्रभावम्)

• विप्रेन्द्र: O chief of Brahmins
• विप्रेन्द्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक) + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—विप्राणाम् इन्द्रः (vocative singular)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (neuter accusative singular: that)

• मे: to me
• मे: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी (सम्प्रदान), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (dative singular: to me)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (nominative singular: you)

• वक्तुम्: to tell
• वक्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्यय (infinitive); ‘to tell/speak’

• अर्हसि: you are able/ought
• अर्हसि: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्ह् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन (present indicative, 2nd singular)

Speaker

Yudhiṣṭhira

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages (outer frame) / within: Yudhiṣṭhira addressing the vipreन्द्र

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Yudhiṣṭhira, earnest and composed, requests the sage to narrate Viṣṇu’s greatness; a symbolic vision of Viṣṇu holding the Śārṅga bow appears in the background, radiant yet restrained.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu (Śārṅgadhanu)
• Śārṅga (bow)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine glory is best understood through testimony of realized seers and faithful listening.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; the focus is on Viṣṇu’s prabhāva rather than a geographical tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it foregrounds śravaṇa (hearing) as a devotional act.