Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

वेतालवरदाभिख्या तीर्थस्यास्यागता कथम् । किंप्रभावं च तत्तीर्थमेतन्नो वक्तुमर्हसि

Transliteration

vetālavaradābhikhyā tīrthasyāsyāgatā katham | kiṃprabhāvaṃ ca tattīrthametanno vaktumarhasi

Translation

ทิรถะแห่งนี้ได้ชื่อว่า ‘เวตาลวรท’ มาได้อย่างไร? และทิรถะนั้นมีอานุภาพกับพระเกียรติคุณพิเศษประการใด โปรดเมตตากล่าวแก่พวกข้าพเจ้าเถิด

Word by Word

• वेतालवरदाभिख्या: having the appellation 'Vetālavarada'
• वेतालवरदाभिख्या: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वेतालवरद-आभिख्या (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; 'वेतालवरद' इत्यस्य आभिख्या (नाम/प्रसिद्धिः) इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः; तीर्थस्य इति सम्बन्धेन 'वेतालवरदाभिख्या (तीर्थस्य)'

• तीर्थस्य: of the tīrtha
• तीर्थस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन

• अस्य: of this
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; 'of this'

• आगता: has come/arrived
• आगता: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगे 'आगता (भवती/सा)'

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (interrogative adverb)

• किंप्रभावम्: what power/effect
• किंप्रभावम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम्-प्रभाव (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; 'कः प्रभावः यस्य' इति बहुव्रीहिः सम्भवति, परन्तु अत्र प्रश्नार्थे 'किं प्रभावम्' = 'what (is its) power/effect' इति कर्मरूपेण; व्यवहारतः प्रश्न-तत्पुरुषवत्

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

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; 'that'—तीर्थम् इति विशेषणम्

• तीर्थम्: the tīrtha
• तीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; अत्र वक्तुम् इत्यस्य कर्म (to describe that tīrtha)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; 'this'—तीर्थम् इति विशेषणम्

• नः: to us
• नः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6) बहुवचनस्य/चतुर्थी (4) बहुवचनस्य एन्क्लिटिक रूपम्; अत्र चतुर्थी-अर्थे (to us)

• वक्तुम्: to tell/speak
• वक्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (infinitive)

• अर्हसि: you are fit/you should
• अर्हसि: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्ह् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Sages (addressing Sūta)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vētālavarada

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sūta (as respondent in the next verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A circle of sages respectfully questions the narrator about the origin of the name ‘Vētālavarada’ and the special power of the ford; palm-leaf manuscripts and ritual vessels suggest a learned setting near a sacred coast.

Characters & Entities

• Vētālavarada Tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True tīrtha-seeking includes inquiry into a place’s name, origin, and prabhāva, not merely physical travel.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vētālavarada Tīrtha, whose naming and greatness are requested to be explained.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None is specified; the verse is an invitation to hear the tīrtha-māhātmya (glorifying account).