Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

युधिष्ठिर उवाच । कस्माच्च कारणात्तात रेवाया दक्षिणे तटे । वासुकीशस्थापितो वै विस्तराद्वद मे गुरो

Transliteration

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | kasmācca kāraṇāttāta revāyā dakṣiṇe taṭe | vāsukīśasthāpito vai vistarādvada me guro

Translation

Yudhiṣṭhira thưa: Kính bạch phụ thân, vì duyên cớ gì Vāsukīśa được an lập nơi bờ nam sông Revā (Narmadā)? Kính bạch bậc Đạo sư tôn kính, xin giảng rõ cho con tường tận.

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

• कस्मात्: from what? / why?
• कस्मात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• कारणात्: from the cause / for what reason
• कारणात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular)

• तात: dear one / father (as address)
• तात: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• रेवायाः: of Revā (Narmadā)
• रेवायाः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रेवा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• दक्षिणे: on the southern
• दक्षिणे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (qualifying)

• तटे: bank
• तटे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• वासुकीशः: Vāsukīśa (lord of Vāsuki)
• वासुकीशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासुकीश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वासुकेः ईशः = lord of Vāsuki)

• स्थापितः: was installed/placed
• स्थापितः: Kriya (Result state) / Karma (Object implied)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) + णिच्; स्थापित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग-सूचक

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• विस्तरात्: in detail
• विस्तरात्: Hetu/Prayojana (Manner/Cause nuance)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विस्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular); अव्ययीभावार्थे (in the sense of 'in detail')

• वद: tell
• वद: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• मे: to me
• मे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-एकवचन (Genitive/Dative singular) रूप; अत्र चतुर्थी (to me) प्रायः

• गुरो: O teacher
• गुरो: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Yudhiṣṭhira

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vāsukīśa on Revā-dakṣiṇa-taṭa

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mārkaṇḍeya (addressed as guru)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Yudhiṣṭhira respectfully questions Mārkaṇḍeya about why Vāsukīśa was established on the southern bank of Revā; the river flows beside an emerging Śaiva shrine.

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Revā (Narmadā)
• Vāsukīśa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred geography is purposeful in Purāṇas; inquiry from a dharmic ruler opens the door to deeper tīrtha-māhātmya.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vāsukīśa on the southern bank of Revā (Narmadā) is the focal site being asked about.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; this is a request for the origin-story (kāraṇa) behind the shrine’s establishment.