Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

एतमेकं परं प्रश्नं सर्वप्रश्नविदां वर । श्रुत्वाहं त्वत्प्रसादेन यत्र यामि सबान्धवः

Transliteration

etamekaṃ paraṃ praśnaṃ sarvapraśnavidāṃ vara | śrutvāhaṃ tvatprasādena yatra yāmi sabāndhavaḥ

Translation

โอ้ผู้ประเสริฐในหมู่ผู้รู้คำตอบแห่งปัญหาทั้งปวง นี่คือปัญหาสูงสุดประการเดียว ด้วยพระกรุณาของท่านเมื่อข้าพเจ้าได้สดับแล้ว ข้าพเจ้าพร้อมญาติพี่น้องจักไปสู่ภาวะใด หรือไป ณ ที่ใด

Word by Word

• एतम्: this
• एतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (कर्म), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम-विशेषणम् (this)

• एकम्: one
• एकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; संख्याविशेषणम् (one)

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (supreme)

• प्रश्नम्: question
• प्रश्नम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रश्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• सर्वप्रश्नविदाम्: of the knowers of all questions
• सर्वप्रश्नविदाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + प्रश्न + विद् (धातु) → विद्-प्रातिपदिक 'विद्/विद्वस्' (कृदन्ताधारित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचनम्; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (सर्वेषां प्रश्नानां विदः = knowers of all questions)

• वर: O best (one)
• वर: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Kriya (Verbal adjunct/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्तम् (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वक्रिया (having heard)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• त्वत्प्रसादेन: by your grace
• त्वत्प्रसादेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम) + प्रसाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (करण), एकवचनम्; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (त्वत्-प्रसादः = your grace)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; सम्बन्ध-अव्ययम्/देशवाचक-प्रश्न/सम्बन्ध (where)

• यामि: I go
• यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• सबान्धवः: together with (my) relatives
• सबान्धवः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (उपसर्ग/अव्ययार्थ) + बान्धव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; समासः—उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (स-बान्धवः = with relatives)

Speaker

Yudhiṣṭhira

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: The sage/answerer (Mārkaṇḍeya contextually)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A respectful seeker, hands folded, asks a revered sage about the ultimate destination attainable by grace, with family standing behind in humility.

Characters & Entities

• prasāda
• bāndhava

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The seeker’s aim matures from many benefits to the highest end—final destiny—while also caring for the welfare of one’s family.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it sets up the forthcoming identification of the supreme tīrtha/destination.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it is a doctrinal question about ultimate attainment.