Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 45

Devanagari script

शतबाहुरुवाच । एकाकी त्वं वने कस्माद्भ्रमसे पुस्तिकाकरः । इतस्ततोऽपि सम्पश्यन् कथयस्व द्विजोत्तम

Transliteration

śatabāhuruvāca | ekākī tvaṃ vane kasmādbhramase pustikākaraḥ | itastato'pi sampaśyan kathayasva dvijottama

Translation

พระศตพาหุตรัสว่า “ดูก่อนผู้ถือคัมภีร์ไว้ในมือ เหตุใดท่านจึงพเนจรเดียวดายในป่านี้? มองไปทั่วทิศแล้วจงบอกเราเถิด โอ้พราหมณ์ผู้ประเสริฐยิ่ง”

Word by Word

• शतबाहुः: Śatabāhu (the king)
• शतबाहुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शतबाहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (शतं बाहवो यस्य)

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

• एकाकी: alone
• एकाकी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एकाकिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; त्वम् विशेषयति

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• वने: in the forest
• वने: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• कस्मात्: why, from what reason
• कस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; हेतौ (ablative of cause)

• भ्रमसे: do you wander
• भ्रमसे: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भ्रम् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• पुस्तिकाकरः: O book-holder (one with a book in hand)
• पुस्तिकाकरः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुस्तिकाकर (प्रातिपदिक; पुस्तिका + कर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बोधनार्थे प्रथमा (addressing)

• इतस्ततः: here and there
• इतस्ततः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इतस्ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, दिशाबोधक/स्थानवाचक (adverb: hither and thither)

• अपि: also, indeed
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अपेक्षाबोधक (particle: also/indeed)

• सम्पश्यन्: looking around, observing
• सम्पश्यन्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + दृश् (धातु) + पश्यत् (कृदन्त; शतृ)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (present participle/शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; त्वम् विशेषयति

• कथयस्व: tell (me)
• कथयस्व: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथय् (धातु; णिजन्त)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• द्विजोत्तम: O best of Brahmins
• द्विजोत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विजोत्तम (प्रातिपदिक; द्विज + उत्तम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

Speaker

Śatabāhu (king)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hanūmanteśvara (anticipated)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Audience/ṛṣis (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śatabāhu confronts the lone brāhmaṇa with a firm yet respectful question, his gaze following the brāhmaṇa’s scanning of the forest paths.

Characters & Entities

• Śatabāhu
• brāhmaṇa (unnamed)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma begins with respectful inquiry—kings and householders should seek the truth from learned Brahmins with humility.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader context is the Revā (Narmadā) sacred region, leading into the Hanūmanteśvara tirtha narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it introduces a pilgrimage-related account that will explain a rite.