Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

युधिष्ठिर उवाच । सप्तकल्पक्षया घोरास्त्वया दृष्टा महामुने । न चापीहास्ति भगवन्दीर्घायुरिह कश्चन

Transliteration

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | saptakalpakṣayā ghorāstvayā dṛṣṭā mahāmune | na cāpīhāsti bhagavandīrghāyuriha kaścana

Translation

ยุธิษฐิระกล่าวว่า: โอ้มหามุนี ท่านได้ประจักษ์ความสลายอันน่าสะพรึงของเจ็ดกัลป์แล้ว แต่กระนั้น โอ้ภควัน ที่นี่กลับไม่มีผู้ใดมีอายุยืนเลย

Word by Word

• युधिष्ठिर: Yudhiṣṭhira
• युधिष्ठिर: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सप्तकल्पक्षयाः: the destructions of seven kalpas
• सप्तकल्पक्षयाः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सप्त + कल्प + क्षय (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (सप्तानां कल्पानां क्षयाः)

• घोराः: terrible
• घोराः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (सप्तकल्पक्षयाः)

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• दृष्टाः: were seen
• दृष्टाः: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया-भाग)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) → दृष्ट (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त/PPP, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विधेय (सप्तकल्पक्षयाः)

• महामुने: O great sage
• महामुने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + मुनि (प्रातिपदिक; कर्मधारय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (महान् मुनिः)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अप्यर्थ/सम्भावन/समुच्चय)

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb of place)

• अस्ति: is/exists
• अस्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• भगवन्: O venerable one
• भगवन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• दीर्घायुः: one with long life/long-lived (person)
• दीर्घायुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दीर्घ + आयुस् (प्रातिपदिक; कर्मधारय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (दीर्घम् आयुः यस्य)

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb of place)

• कश्चन: anyone/any person
• कश्चन: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम) + चन (निपात)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; अनिश्चितार्थ (indefinite pronoun)

Speaker

Yudhiṣṭhira

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā/Narmadā (contextual)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahāmuni (the sage addressed; likely the narrator of Revā-khaṇḍa within the frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Yudhiṣṭhira, solemn and troubled, questions an ancient sage whose eyes suggest kalpa-witnessing; the scene is shaded with dusk tones, hinting at impermanence.

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Mahāmuni

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Human life is short, so one should seek enduring spiritual merit through Dharma and tīrtha-oriented devotion rather than worldly certainty.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The immediate verse is an inquiry; the broader chapter sits in Revā Khaṇḍa, oriented toward the sanctity of the Revā/Narmadā region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it sets up a teaching-response.