Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 60

Devanagari script

एतच्छ्रुत्वा महादेवो भूतस्य वदनाच्च्युतम् । कटिस्थं याज्ञवल्क्यं च मन्त्रयामास मन्त्रवित्

Transliteration

etacchrutvā mahādevo bhūtasya vadanāccyutam | kaṭisthaṃ yājñavalkyaṃ ca mantrayāmāsa mantravit

Translation

ครั้นได้ยินดังนั้น มหาเทวะผู้รู้มนตร์ ได้ใส่ใจถ้อยคำที่หลุดออกจากปากภูตนั้น และปรึกษายาชญวัลกยะซึ่งอยู่ ณ เอวของพระองค์

Word by Word

• एतत्: this (statement)
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; 'this' (object of श्रुत्वा)

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); अव्ययभावः; 'having heard'

• महादेवः: Mahādeva (Śiva)
• महादेवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; समासः—महान् देवः (कर्मधारय)

• भूतस्य: of the being/spirit
• भूतस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• वदनात्: from the mouth
• वदनात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वदन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन

• च्युतम्: fallen/dropped
• च्युतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: च्युत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; च्यु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (याज्ञवल्क्यम्)

• कटि-स्थम्: situated at the waist
• कटि-स्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कटि (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (याज्ञवल्क्यम्); समासः—कट्याम् स्थितः (सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष)

• याज्ञवल्क्यम्: Yājñavalkya
• याज्ञवल्क्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: याज्ञवल्क्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• मन्त्रयामास: consulted/advised
• मन्त्रयामास: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन्त्रय् (धातु; मन्त्र + णिच्)
• Form: लिट् (Periphrastic perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मन्त्र-वित्: knower of mantras
• मन्त्र-वित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + विद् (धातु; कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक 'वित्')
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—मन्त्रान् वेत्ति इति (उपपद-तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Narrator (implied Vaiśampāyana) to Yudhiṣṭhira

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mahādeva listens intently, then turns to consult Yājñavalkya—depicted unusually as positioned at the deity’s waist (katī-stha), suggesting intimate guardianship or a miniature sage-form; the spirit’s utterance hangs in the air like visible syllables.

Characters & Entities

• Mahādeva (Śiva)
• Yājñavalkya
• bhūta (spirit-being)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is upheld through wise counsel and mantra-knowledge; even crises are met with discernment, not impulse.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā (Narmadā) region is the broader sacred frame; the verse emphasizes mantra-counsel rather than praising a named tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed, but the mention of mantra-vijñāna points to remedial spiritual measures guided by realized sages.