Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 5
Devanagari script
कथितुं वृद्धभावत्वादतीतो बहुकालिकः । संक्षेपात्तेन ते तात कथयामि निबोध मे
Transliteration
kathituṃ vṛddhabhāvatvādatīto bahukālikaḥ | saṃkṣepāttena te tāta kathayāmi nibodha me
Translation
بڑھاپے کے سبب بہت زمانہ گزر چکا ہے، اس لیے میں اسے تفصیل سے بیان نہیں کر سکتا۔ لہٰذا اے عزیز! میں تمہیں اختصار سے بتاتا ہوں—میری بات کو سمجھ لو۔
Word by Word
कथितुम्to narrate
कथितुम्:
Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
TypeVerb
Rootकथ्/कथय् (धातु)
Formतुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय-रूप (Infinitive): ‘to tell’
वृद्धभावत्वात्due to the state of old age
वृद्धभावत्वात्:
Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
TypeNoun
Rootवृद्ध-भाव-त्व (प्रातिपदिक; बहुपद-समासः)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थः (because of old age-state)
अतीतःhas passed/elapsed
अतीतः:
Kriya (Predicate participle/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootअति-इ (धातु)
Formक्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘passed/elapsed’
बहुकालिकःof a long time/lasting long
बहुकालिकः:
Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootबहु-कालिक (प्रातिपदिक; तत्पुरुषः)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying implied ‘time/period’)
संक्षेपात्briefly/in summary
संक्षेपात्:
Kriya-visheshana (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeNoun
Rootसंक्षेप (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे—‘briefly’ (from brevity)
तेनtherefore/for that reason
तेन:
Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formतृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; तस्मात्-हेतोः ‘therefore/for that reason’ (instrumental of cause)
तेto you/for you
ते:
Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
TypeNoun
Rootयुष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formचतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन (enclitic)
तातO dear one
तात:
Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
TypeNoun
Rootतात (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन
कथयामिI tell/narrate
कथयामि:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootकथय् (धातु; णिच्-प्रत्ययान्त)
Formलट् (Present), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन
निबोधunderstand/heed
निबोध:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootबुध् (धातु) + नि- (उपसर्ग)
Formलोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘understand/know’
मेmy/of me
मे:
Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootअस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formषष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (enclitic); ‘of me’ (often ‘my words’)
Speaker
Mārkaṇḍeya
Tirtha Mahatmya
Tirtha: Guhāvāsī (context)
Type: cave
Skanda Dialogue
Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira
Visual Art Cues
Scene: Aged Mārkaṇḍeya, serene yet visibly old, speaks kindly to Yudhiṣṭhira, indicating he will narrate briefly; the king leans forward in attentive humility.
Characters & Entities
M
MārkaṇḍeyaFAQs
Even a brief, faithful recounting of sacred history can transmit dharma when offered by a revered narrator.
Not named here; the verse introduces the upcoming account connected to Guhāvāsī.
None; it is a narration preface.