Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

श्रूयतां मम वाक्यं च भवद्भिः पृच्छितो ह्यहम् । पूर्वे वयसि भो विप्रा मलस्नानकृतक्षणः

Transliteration

śrūyatāṃ mama vākyaṃ ca bhavadbhiḥ pṛcchito hyaham | pūrve vayasi bho viprā malasnānakṛtakṣaṇaḥ

Translation

میری بات سنو، کہ تم نے مجھ سے پوچھا ہے، اے برہمنو۔ پہلے زمانۂ عمر میں، جب میں پاکیزگی کے لیے غسل کر رہا تھا…

Word by Word

• श्रूयताम्: let (it) be heard
• श्रूयताम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लकारः—लोट् (Imperative/आज्ञार्थक), पुरुषः—प्रथम (3rd), वचनम्—बहुवचन (Plural), आत्मनेपदम्; कर्मणि-प्रयोगः (Passive sense): ‘let it be heard’

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन (Singular)

• वाक्यम्: statement, words
• वाक्यम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (Conjunction)

• भवद्भिः: by you (all)
• भवद्भिः: Karana (Instrument/Agent-in-passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया (Instrumental/करण), बहुवचन (Plural)

• पृच्छितः: (having been) asked
• पृच्छितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रच्छ् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः—क्त (Past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन; अर्थः—‘asked’

• हि: indeed, for
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (Particle), हेत्वर्थ/निश्चयार्थ (indeed/for)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (Nominative/कर्ता), एकवचन (Singular)

• पूर्वे: in earlier
• पूर्वे: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन; ‘in former/earlier’ (agreeing with वयसि)

• वयसि: in (my) age/youth
• वयसि: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन (Singular)

• भो: O!
• भो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भो (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बोधन-निपात (Vocative particle)

• विप्राः: O brahmins
• विप्राः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), बहुवचन (Plural)

• मलस्नानकृतक्षणः: one engaged in washing off filth (then)
• मलस्नानकृतक्षणः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मल-स्नान-कृत-क्षण (प्रातिपदिक); मल (dirt) + स्नान (bath) + कृत (done) + क्षण (moment)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (determinative): ‘(one) whose moment/time was spent in bathing off dirt’

Speaker

Māṇḍavya Ṛṣi

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha milieu (contextual)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: brāhmaṇas/mahārṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A penitent narrator addresses a circle of brāhmaṇa-sages near a riverbank, recalling an incident from youth during bathing/cleansing.

Characters & Entities

• Māṇḍavya
• Viprāḥ (brāhmaṇas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It introduces a personal testimony: karmic doctrine is illustrated through lived experience.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is praised in this line; it functions as narrative framing within the Revā Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A cleansing bath (snāna) is referenced as part of the story setting, not as a formal injunction.