Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

शिखण्ड्युवाच । कथ्यतां मे महाभागे साश्चर्यं भाषितं त्वया । पितुर्वाक्येन सा बालोत्तमा ह्यागतान्तिकम्

Transliteration

śikhaṇḍyuvāca | kathyatāṃ me mahābhāge sāścaryaṃ bhāṣitaṃ tvayā | piturvākyena sā bālottamā hyāgatāntikam

Translation

ศิขัณฑีกล่าวว่า “โอ้ผู้มีบุญยิ่ง โปรดเล่าให้ข้าฟังเถิด ถ้อยคำอัศจรรย์ที่ท่านกล่าวนั้น” ครั้นได้ยินวาจาบิดา นางกุมารีผู้ประเสริฐก็เข้ามาใกล้

Word by Word

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

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

• कथ्यताम्: let it be told
• कथ्यताम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), कर्मणि प्रयोग (Passive), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• मे: to me / for me
• मे: Sampradana/Adhikarana (Beneficiary/for me)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• महाभागे: O fortunate lady
• महाभागे: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाभाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• स: that
• स: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nominative/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• आश्चर्यम्: wonder
• आश्चर्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्चर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• भाषितम्: spoken
• भाषितम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भाष् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘आश्चर्यम्’ इति कर्मविशेषणम्

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana (Instrument/Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• पितुः: of (her) father
• पितुः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• वाक्येन: by the word/command
• वाक्येन: Karana (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• बालोत्तमा: the excellent girl
• बालोत्तमा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल + उत्तमा (प्रातिपदिकौ)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘सा’ इति विशेष्या

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय

• आगता: came
• आगता: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + गम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past active participle in sense), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘सा’ इति कर्तृसमाना

• अन्तिकम्: near (to me)
• अन्तिकम्: Karma (Goal/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; गत्यर्थे कर्म (destination)

Speaker

Śikhaṇḍī (king of Kānyakubja)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king (nṛpa) addressed in the running narration; immediate addressee is the ‘mahābhāgā’ being questioned

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A respectful interlocutor (Śikhaṇḍī) requests explanation; an ‘excellent maiden’ approaches at her father’s command, signaling the start of a personal testimony tied to a sacred place.

Characters & Entities

• Śikhaṇḍī
• kanyā (daughter)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When dharma appears puzzling, it should be clarified through truthful explanation rather than haste or suspicion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not directly; it prepares for the Hanūmanteśvara revelation that follows.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a narrative bridge into the explanation of past events.