Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 49

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । साधुसाधु महाप्राज्ञ धर्मपुत्र युधिष्ठिर । कथयामि यथा न्यायं यत्पृच्छसि ममानघ

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | sādhusādhu mahāprājña dharmaputra yudhiṣṭhira | kathayāmi yathā nyāyaṃ yatpṛcchasi mamānagha

Translation

شری مارکنڈَیَہ نے کہا: شاباش، شاباش! اے نہایت دانا، اے دھرم کے پتر یُدھشٹھِر! اے بےگناہ، جو کچھ تم پوچھتے ہو میں رسمِ حق کے مطابق ویسا ہی بیان کروں گا۔

Word by Word

• śrī-mārkaṇḍeyaḥ: revered Markandeya
• śrī-mārkaṇḍeyaḥ: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī (प्रातिपदिक/उपाधि) + mārkaṇḍeya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (उपाधि-पूर्वपद: ‘श्रीमान् मार्कण्डेयः’); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (Speech act/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (वच् धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• sādhu: well done
• sādhu: Sambandha (Exclamation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sādhu (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रशंसार्थक-अव्यय (interjection of approval)

• sādhu: well done
• sādhu: Sambandha (Exclamation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sādhu (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रशंसार्थक-अव्यय (repetition for emphasis)

• mahā-prājña: O very wise one
• mahā-prājña: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + prājña (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (‘महान् प्राज्ञः’); पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

• dharma-putra: O son of Dharma
• dharma-putra: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक) + putra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी: ‘धर्मस्य पुत्रः’); पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

• yudhiṣṭhira: O Yudhishthira
• yudhiṣṭhira: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yudhiṣṭhira (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

• kathayāmi: I tell
• kathayāmi: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kath (कथ् धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• yathā: as, according to
• yathā: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: यथार्थक-अव्यय (adverb/conjunction: ‘as, according to’)

• nyāyam: properly, in due order
• nyāyam: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nyāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण (accusative of manner: ‘properly’)

• yat: what (which)
• yat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• pṛcchasi: you ask
• pṛcchasi: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √prach (प्रच्छ् धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• mama: of me / from me
• mama: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• anagha: O sinless one
• anagha: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anagha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन; विशेषणरूपेण (vocative epithet)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Markandeya raises a hand in blessing and begins his discourse; Yudhiṣṭhira listens attentively, the assembly quiet and focused.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Dharma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True inquiry is praised, and sacred knowledge should be transmitted in accordance with nyāya—right order and authentic tradition.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā (Narmadā) context is being introduced; the tīrtha-glorification unfolds in the subsequent verses.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No external ritual is stated; the focus is on proper questioning and faithful exposition.