Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

एतत्सर्वं समासेन आदौ कथय मे प्रभो । ज्ञात्वा सर्वे वयं सूत पश्चादावर्णयामहे

Transliteration

etatsarvaṃ samāsena ādau kathaya me prabho | jñātvā sarve vayaṃ sūta paścādāvarṇayāmahe

Translation

“ข้าแต่พระผู้เป็นเจ้า โปรดเล่าเรื่องทั้งหมดนี้โดยย่อ ตั้งแต่ปฐมกาลให้ข้าพเจ้าฟังเถิด โอ้ท่านสูตะ เมื่อเข้าใจแล้ว พวกเราทั้งหมดจักบรรยายต่อไปโดยพิสดาร”

Word by Word

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying सर्वम्)

• सर्वम्: everything
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• समासेन: briefly; in summary
• समासेन: Karana (Manner/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; साधन/प्रकारवाचक (by way of summary)

• आदौ: at first
• आदौ: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial-locative/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; ‘in the beginning’ (locative used adverbially)

• कथय: tell
• कथय: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• मे: to me
• मे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; प्रथमपुरुष सर्वनाम

• प्रभो: O lord
• प्रभो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बोधन, एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग

• ज्ञात्वा: having known
• ज्ञात्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), ‘having known’

• सर्वे: all (of us)
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• वयम्: we
• वयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, बहुवचन; प्रथमपुरुष सर्वनाम

• सूत: O Sūta
• सूत: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बोधन, एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग

• पश्चात्: afterwards
• पश्चात्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पश्चात् (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/क्रमवाचक अव्यय (afterwards)

• आवर्णयामहे: we shall describe / we describe
• आवर्णयामहे: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + वर्णय् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचन, आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Śaunaka (continuing address to Sūta)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sūta

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The sages collectively request a concise beginning-to-end account; Sūta sits poised, indicating he will narrate systematically.

Characters & Entities

• Śaunaka
• Sūta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic wisdom is preserved by disciplined listening, clear summaries, and faithful retelling—knowledge becomes service.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tirtha is mentioned in this verse; it frames the pedagogical method within the Kedārakhaṇḍa discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it implies śravaṇa (listening) and kīrtana/pravacana (recounting) as dharmic practices.