Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 63

Devanagari script

पृष्टावागमने हेतुं तमब्रूव शृणुष्व तत् । उज्जयिन्यां महीपालश्चाणक्योऽभूत्प्रतापवान्

Transliteration

pṛṣṭāvāgamane hetuṃ tamabrūva śṛṇuṣva tat | ujjayinyāṃ mahīpālaścāṇakyo'bhūtpratāpavān

Translation

جب اس نے ہمارے آنے کی وجہ پوچھی تو ہم نے کہا، “یہ بات سنو۔” اُجّینی میں چانکیہ نام کا ایک باجلال اور صاحبِ شوکت حکمراں تھا۔

Word by Word

• पृष्टौ: (they two) having been asked
• पृष्टौ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पृच्छ् (धातु) → पृष्ट (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle) ‘asked’; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन; English: PPP, masculine nominative dual

• आगमने: regarding (their) coming/arrival
• आगमने: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आ-गम् (धातु) → आगमन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; English: neuter locative singular

• हेतुम्: the reason
• हेतुम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हेतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; English: masculine accusative singular

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; English: pronoun accusative singular

• अब्रूव: said
• अब्रूव: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लुङ्-लकारः (अनद्यतनभूत), परस्मैपदम्; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; छान्दस/वैदिक रूप ‘अब्रूव’ = ‘अब्रवीत्’; English: aorist, 3rd person singular, active

• शृणुष्व: listen
• शृणुष्व: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकारः (आज्ञार्थ), आत्मनेपदम्; मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; English: imperative, 2nd person singular, middle

• तत्: that (matter)
• तत्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; English: neuter accusative singular

• उज्जयिन्याम्: in Ujjayinī
• उज्जयिन्याम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उज्जयिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; English: feminine locative singular

• महीपालः: a king (protector of the earth)
• महीपालः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही (प्रातिपदिक) + पाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (महीम् पालयति/महीपालः); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; English: masculine nominative singular

• चाणक्यः: Cāṇakya
• चाणक्यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चाणक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; English: masculine nominative singular

• अभूत्: was/became
• अभूत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लुङ्-लकारः (अनद्यतनभूत), परस्मैपदम्; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; English: aorist, 3rd person singular, active

• प्रतापवान्: mighty, valorous
• प्रतापवान्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रताप (प्रातिपदिक) + वत् (मतुप्/वतुप्)
• Form: मतुप्/वतुप्-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; English: adjective, masculine nominative singular

Speaker

Yama (speaking to the two narrating visitors, within the Revā Khaṇḍa story)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ujjayinī (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: The arriving petitioners/messengers (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Yama’s interlocutor begins a tale: the camera shifts from the dark court of Yama to luminous Ujjayinī—palace silhouettes, city gates, and a king introduced by name.

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Ujjayinī (Ujjain)
• Cāṇakya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The narrative pivots from cosmic judgment to worldly governance, implying that a ruler’s dharma and deeds are inseparable from ultimate accountability.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ujjayinī (Ujjain) is explicitly mentioned, a प्रमुख sacred city of Āvantya associated with Purāṇic sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it introduces a historical-legendary account centered on Ujjayinī and its ruler.