Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

एतद्विस्तरतः सर्वं ब्रूहि मे वदतां वर । कल्पान्ते यद्भवेत्कष्टं लोकानां तत्त्वमेव च

Transliteration

etadvistarataḥ sarvaṃ brūhi me vadatāṃ vara | kalpānte yadbhavetkaṣṭaṃ lokānāṃ tattvameva ca

Translation

اے بہترین خطیب! یہ سب کچھ مجھے تفصیل سے بتائیے—کَلپ کے اختتام پر جو مصیبت عوالم پر آتی ہے، اور اس کے پیچھے کارفرما حقیقی تَتّو بھی۔

Word by Word

• etat: this
• etat: Karman (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम् (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative, 2nd), एकवचनम् (Singular)

• vistarataḥ: in detail
• vistarataḥ: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vistara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययम् (adverbial ablatival form): ‘in detail/at length’

• sarvam: all
• sarvam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम् (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative, 2nd), एकवचनम् (Singular); ‘all’ qualifying etat

• brūhi: tell (me)
• brūhi: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: brū (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपदम् (Parasmaipada), मध्यमपुरुषः (2nd person), एकवचनम् (Singular)

• me: to me
• me: Sampradāna (Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-एकवचनम् (Genitive/Dative singular enclitic); here दत्त-सम्प्रदानार्थे (Dative sense)

• vadatām: of speakers
• vadatām: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vad (धातु) → vadat (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम् (Masculine), षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive, 6th), बहुवचनम् (Plural); शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्तः: ‘of those who speak’

• vara: O best (one)
• vara: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम् (Masculine), सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), एकवचनम् (Singular)

• kalpānte: at the end of the kalpa
• kalpānte: Adhikaraṇa (Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kalpa (प्रातिपदिक) + anta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम् (Masculine), सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (Locative, 7th), एकवचनम् (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (kalpasya antaḥ)

• yat: which (that which)
• yat: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम् (Neuter), प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative, 1st), एकवचनम् (Singular)

• bhavet: may occur / would happen
• bhavet: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: लोट्/विधिलिङ्-रूपम् (Optative/benedictive sense in context), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम् (Singular)

• kaṣṭam: hardship / calamity
• kaṣṭam: Karta (Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kaṣṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम् (Neuter), प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative, 1st), एकवचनम् (Singular)

• lokānām: of the worlds/people
• lokānām: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम् (Masculine), षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive, 6th), बहुवचनम् (Plural)

• tattvam: the truth/essence
• tattvam: Karman (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tattva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम् (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative, 2nd), एकवचनम् (Singular)

• eva: indeed / exactly
• eva: Nipāta (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्ययम् (emphatic particle)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

Speaker

Yudhiṣṭhira

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Narmadeya context (prelude to kalpa/pralaya explanation)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: The responding sage/brāhmaṇa (vaktṛ-śreṣṭha)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Yudhiṣṭhira requests a full exposition: scenes of cosmic dissolution hinted—darkened skies, drying rivers, then renewal—while the sage prepares to teach the tattva behind kalpānta suffering.

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Kalpānta
• Lokāḥ (worlds)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇas teach not only events but their tattva (inner meaning); understanding cosmic dissolution supports detachment and dharma-grounded living.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it frames the doctrinal and cosmological setting within the Revā Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; this is a request for detailed teaching about kalpānta and its underlying truth.