Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

दृष्ट्वा तीर्थप्रभावं तु पुनर्वचनमब्रवीत् । श्रूयतां वचनं मेऽद्य ब्राह्मणाः सपुरोहिताः

Transliteration

dṛṣṭvā tīrthaprabhāvaṃ tu punarvacanamabravīt | śrūyatāṃ vacanaṃ me'dya brāhmaṇāḥ sapurohitāḥ

Translation

แต่ครั้นได้ประจักษ์อานุภาพแห่งทิรถะแล้ว นางกล่าวอีกว่า “ขอท่านพราหมณ์ทั้งหลายพร้อมด้วยปุโรหิต จงสดับถ้อยคำของข้าในวันนี้เถิด”

Word by Word

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• dṛṣṭvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dṛś (दृश् धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive) — 'having seen'

• tīrtha-prabhāvam: power/effect of the holy place
• tīrtha-prabhāvam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक) + prabhāva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (tīrthasya prabhāvaḥ), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन — 'the power of the tīrtha'

• tu: but, indeed
• tu: Sambandha/Emphasis (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Particle) — 'but/indeed'

• punar: again
• punar: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punar (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Adverb) — 'again'

• vacanam: words
• vacanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vacana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन — 'speech/words'

• abravīt: said
• abravīt: Kriyā (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √brū (ब्रू धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन — 'said/spoke'

• śrūyatām: please listen; let (it) be heard
• śrūyatām: Kriyā (Imperative action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śru (श्रु धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), बहुवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग/आज्ञार्थ — 'let it be heard / please listen'

• vacanam: my words
• vacanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vacana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन — here as object of 'śrūyatām' (to be heard)

• me: my
• me: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन — enclitic 'of me/my'

• adya: today, now
• adya: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time adverbial/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: adya (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Adverb of time) — 'today/now'

• brāhmaṇāḥ: O brāhmaṇas
• brāhmaṇāḥ: Sambodhana (Vocative address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन — 'O brāhmaṇas' (address)

• sa-purohitāḥ: with (your) priests
• sa-purohitāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa (सह/स- उपसर्गवत्) + purohita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उपपद-तत्पुरुष/सह-समास (purohitaiḥ saha), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन — 'together with (your) priests' (brāhmaṇāḥ-विशेषण)

Speaker

Bhānumatī (queen; inferred from shloka 55/57 context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śūlabheda-tīrtha (contextual)

Type: tirtha

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: O king (implied by surrounding narrative)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: After observing the ford’s wondrous effect, Bhānumatī turns from the river toward an assembly of brāhmaṇas and family priests, raising her hand in respectful address, preparing to announce her resolve.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Direct experience of a tīrtha’s potency inspires public affirmation of dharma and respectful engagement with learned brāhmaṇas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse highlights ‘tīrtha-prabhāva’ (the power of the holy ford) within the Revā Khaṇḍa context, without naming it here.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Not a new ritual, but a formal announcement to brāhmaṇas and purohitas—suggesting planned vow-keeping and associated rites.