Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । हन्त ते कथयिष्यामि विचित्रं यत्पुरातनम् । वृत्तं स्वर्गसभामध्ये ऋषीणां भावितात्मनाम्

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | hanta te kathayiṣyāmi vicitraṃ yatpurātanam | vṛttaṃ svargasabhāmadhye ṛṣīṇāṃ bhāvitātmanām

Translation

Thánh hiền Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya nói: “Này, ta sẽ kể cho các ngươi một chuyện xưa kỳ diệu—một sự việc đã xảy ra giữa hội đường cõi trời, nơi các bậc ṛṣi có tâm hồn đã được tu luyện.”

Word by Word

• śrīmārkaṇḍeyaḥ: Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya
• śrīmārkaṇḍeyaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī-mārkaṇḍeya (प्रातिपदिक; श्री + मार्कण्डेय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; संबोधन-रहित कर्तृपद (speaker name)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• hanta: indeed/come now
• hanta: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hanta (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्गार/निपात (interjection/particle)

• te: to you
• te: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया/चतुर्थी-एकवचन रूप (Accusative/Dative singular enclitic); अत्र चतुर्थी (सम्प्रदान) अधिकयुक्त

• kathayiṣyāmi: I will narrate
• kathayiṣyāmi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kathaya (धातु; कथयति—णिच् causative of √kath/√kathā)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• vicitram: wonderful/strange
• vicitram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vicitra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण

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

• purātanam: ancient
• purātanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: purātana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (यत्/विचित्रम् इत्यस्य)

• vṛttam: event/occurrence
• vṛttam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛtta (कृदन्त; √vṛt + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, ‘घटितम्/घटना’ अर्थे

• svargasabhāmadhye: in the midst of the assembly of heaven
• svargasabhāmadhye: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svarga-sabhā-madhya (प्रातिपदिक; स्वर्ग + सभा + मध्य)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; अधिकरण

• ṛṣīṇām: of the sages
• ṛṣīṇām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध

• bhāvitātmanām: of those whose selves are purified/controlled
• bhāvitātmanām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhāvita-ātman (कृदन्त+प्रातिपदिक; √bhū/√bhāv + क्त + आत्मन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; विशेषण (ऋषीणाम्)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhārata (addressed; typically Yudhiṣṭhira/royal interlocutor in purāṇic style)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous celestial assembly hall: seated ṛṣis with matted locks and deer-skins, Mārkaṇḍeya poised to narrate; subtle aura of Svarga with pillars, clouds, and divine light.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Svarga (heavenly court)
• Ṛṣis (sages)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred place-glories are grounded in timeless, authoritative narratives preserved by realized sages.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not yet; this verse introduces the backstory that will support the tīrtha’s greatness.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a narrative preface establishing provenance and authority.