Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

युधिष्ठिर उवाच । सावित्री का द्विजश्रेष्ठ कथं वाराध्यते बुधैः । प्रसन्ना वा वरं कं च ददाति कथयस्व मे

Transliteration

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | sāvitrī kā dvijaśreṣṭha kathaṃ vārādhyate budhaiḥ | prasannā vā varaṃ kaṃ ca dadāti kathayasva me

Translation

Yudhiṣṭhira thưa: Bạch bậc tối thượng trong hàng nhị sinh, Sāvitrī là ai? Các bậc hiền trí thờ phụng Ngài như thế nào? Khi hoan hỷ, Ngài ban ân phúc gì? Xin nói cho con biết.

Word by Word

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

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

• सावित्री: Sāvitrī (the goddess/Mantra)
• सावित्री: Vishaya/Prashna (Topic of question/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सावित्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• का: who/what (is she)
• का: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम

• द्विजश्रेष्ठ: O best of the twice-born
• द्विजश्रेष्ठ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (द्विजानां श्रेष्ठः)

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

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक-निपात (disjunctive particle)

• आराध्यते: is worshipped
• आराध्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-राध् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• बुधैः: by the wise
• बुधैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• प्रसन्ना: pleased
• प्रसन्ना: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रसन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (सावित्र्याः)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक-निपात (disjunctive particle)

• वरम्: a boon
• वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• कम्: which (boon)
• कम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• ददाति: gives
• ददाति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• कथयस्व: tell
• कथयस्व: Kriya (Injunction/आज्ञा)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथय् (धातु; णिजन्त)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मे: to me / my
• मे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

Speaker

Yudhiṣṭhira

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha sphere

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mārkaṇḍeya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A royal sage-king Yudhiṣṭhira, seated respectfully, questions the venerable Mārkaṇḍeya about Sāvitrī—her nature, worship, and boons; a calm āśrama setting with riverine hints of Revā.

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Sāvitrī
• Dvijaśreṣṭha (Mārkaṇḍeya)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Right inquiry (praśna) is itself dharma—seeking the nature of a deity and proper worship before seeking results.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Sāvitrī-tīrtha is the context, though this verse is a question that introduces its māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse asks about ārādhana (proper worship) but does not yet specify the method.