Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

युधिष्ठिर उवाच । महाभयानां लोकस्य नागानां द्विजसत्तम । कथं जातं भयं तीव्रं येन ते तपसि स्थिताः

Transliteration

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | mahābhayānāṃ lokasya nāgānāṃ dvijasattama | kathaṃ jātaṃ bhayaṃ tīvraṃ yena te tapasi sthitāḥ

Translation

Yudhiṣṭhira thưa: Bạch bậc tối thượng trong hàng lưỡng sinh, nỗi kinh hãi dữ dội ấy đã khởi lên nơi các Nāga—khiến cả thế gian khiếp sợ—như thế nào mà họ vẫn kiên trú trong khổ hạnh?

Word by Word

• युधिष्ठिरः: Yudhiṣṭhira
• युधिष्ठिरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• महाभयानाम्: of great fears/terrors
• महाभयानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाभय (प्रातिपदिक; महत् + भय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• लोकस्य: of the world
• लोकस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• नागानाम्: of the nāgas (serpents)
• नागानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• द्विजसत्तम: O best of the twice-born
• द्विजसत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विजसत्तम (प्रातिपदिक; द्विज + सत्तम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• जातम्: arisen, born
• जातम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• भयम्: fear
• भयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• तीव्रम्: intense
• तीव्रम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तीव्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• येन: by which, whereby
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• ते: you (all)
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (सामान्य-प्रयोग), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• तपसि: in austerity, in penance
• तपसि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• स्थिताः: standing, abiding
• स्थिताः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

Speaker

Yudhiṣṭhira

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: a brāhmaṇa/ṛṣi addressed as dvijasattama

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Yudhiṣṭhira, composed yet intent, questions a venerable brāhmaṇa/ṛṣi about the terrifying fear that compelled the Nāgas to undertake austerities; the setting suggests a riverbank hermitage with subtle nāga symbolism.

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Nāgas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Inquiry (jijñāsā) into sacred history is presented as the doorway to understanding tīrtha-greatness and dharmic causality.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Nāgatīrtha is the topic of the chapter; this verse begins the question that frames its māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas (austerity) is referenced as the Nāgas’ response, though no specific rite is prescribed yet.