Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । साधु साधु महाप्राज्ञ पृष्टः प्रश्नस्त्वयानघ । कथयामि यथापूर्वं श्रुतमेतन्महेश्वरात्

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | sādhu sādhu mahāprājña pṛṣṭaḥ praśnastvayānagha | kathayāmi yathāpūrvaṃ śrutametanmaheśvarāt

Translation

ศรีมารกัณฑेयกล่าวว่า: ดีแล้ว ดีแล้ว โอ้ท่านผู้มีปัญญายิ่งและปราศจากมลทิน คำถามของท่านเหมาะสมยิ่ง ข้าพเจ้าจะเล่าตามที่เคยได้สดับจากพระมหेशวร (พระศิวะ) มาแต่ก่อน

Word by Word

• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya
• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रीमार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• साधु: well done/good
• साधु: Sambandha (Exclamation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साधु (अव्यय/सुबन्तवत्)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रशंसावाचक निपात (interjection of approval)

• साधु: good, good
• साधु: Sambandha (Exclamation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साधु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरुक्त-प्रशंसा (repeated approval)

• महाप्राज्ञ: O very wise one
• महाप्राज्ञ: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाप्राज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पृष्टः: (I am) asked
• पृष्टः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रच्छ् (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (अहं) इति अध्याहृतस्य विशेषणम्

• प्रश्नः: the question
• प्रश्नः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रश्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• अनघ: O sinless one
• अनघ: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनघ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कथयामि: I tell
• कथयामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथय् (धातु; √कथ् + णिच्)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• यथापूर्वम्: as before
• यथापूर्वम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा + पूर्व (अव्ययीभाव-समास)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: 'as before/according to earlier')

• श्रुतम्: heard
• श्रुतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रु (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; एतत् इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• महेश्वरात्: from Maheśvara (Śiva)
• महेश्वरात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mārkaṇḍeya raises a hand in blessing/assurance, praising Yudhiṣṭhira’s question; a subtle iconographic presence of Śiva (linga or faint divine silhouette) indicates the source of the teaching.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Maheśvara (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred knowledge is authenticated through lineage (śruti/paramparā), here traced back to Śiva as the supreme authority.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā/Narmadā Mahātmya framework is being introduced; the specific tīrtha is not named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse establishes the authority and intent to narrate.