Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

युधिष्ठिर उवाच । कथमत्र सुरश्रेष्ठ केदाराख्यः स्थितः स्वयम् । उत्तरे नर्मदाकूले एतद्विस्तरतो वद

Transliteration

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | kathamatra suraśreṣṭha kedārākhyaḥ sthitaḥ svayam | uttare narmadākūle etadvistarato vada

Translation

Sinabi ni Yudhiṣṭhira: O pinakadakila sa mga banal, paano naririto mismo ang Panginoon, na nakatatag sa pangalang “Kedāra,” sa hilagang pampang ng Narmadā? Isalaysay mo ito nang masinsinan.

Word by Word

• yudhiṣṭhiraḥ: Yudhiṣṭhira
• yudhiṣṭhiraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yudhiṣṭhira (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• katham: how
• katham: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Interrogative modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: katham (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नवाचक (interrogative adverb: how)

• atra: here
• atra: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (here)

• sura-śreṣṭha: O best of gods
• sura-śreṣṭha: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sura (प्रातिपदिक) + śreṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: सुराणां श्रेष्ठः

• kedāra-ākhyaḥ: (one) named Kedāra
• kedāra-ākhyaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kedāra (प्रातिपदिक) + ākhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘केदार’ इत्याख्यः (named Kedāra)

• sthitaḥ: situated; present
• sthitaḥ: Kriya (State/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sthā (धातु)
• Form: क्त (Past Passive Participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• svayam: himself
• svayam: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: svayam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आत्मवाचक (oneself)

• uttare: on the northern (side)
• uttare: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uttara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; विशेषण (in the northern)

• narmadā-kūle: on the bank of the Narmadā
• narmadā-kūle: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: narmadā (प्रातिपदिक) + kūla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: नर्मदायाः कूलम्

• etat: this
• etat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• vistarataḥ: in detail
• vistarataḥ: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vistara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb): विस्तारतः (in detail)

• vada: tell; speak
• vada: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vad (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Yudhiṣṭhira

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra on Narmadā’s northern bank

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Yudhiṣṭhira, hands folded, asks the sage about a Śiva presence named Kedāra on the Narmadā’s northern bank; the river glints behind, with a modest shrine and listening attendants.

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Kedāra
• Narmadā (Revā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places are understood through their origin narratives; inquiry (praśna) is part of receiving tīrtha-māhātmya.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra on the northern bank of the Narmadā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it introduces the explanatory narrative about the site’s divine establishment.