Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 93

Devanagari script

नारद उवाच । साधु साधु महाभागे प्रश्नोऽयं वेदितस्त्वया । यं श्रुत्वा सर्वनारीणां धर्मवृद्धिस्तु जायते

Transliteration

nārada uvāca | sādhu sādhu mahābhāge praśno'yaṃ veditastvayā | yaṃ śrutvā sarvanārīṇāṃ dharmavṛddhistu jāyate

Translation

那罗陀说道：“善哉，善哉，尊贵的女士。此问由你如理领会并正当提出；闻其答复，诸女之中确能增长正法（dharma）。”

Word by Word

• nāradaḥ: Nārada
• nāradaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nārada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (वच्-धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• sādhu: well done, good
• sādhu: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sādhu (अव्यय/विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रशंसावाचक (particle of approval)

• sādhu: indeed, very good
• sādhu: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sādhu (अव्यय/विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरुक्ति-प्रशंसा

• mahābhāge: O fortunate lady
• mahābhāge: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā + bhāga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन

• praśnaḥ: question
• praśnaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: praśna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• ayam: this
• ayam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; demonstrative pronoun

• veditaḥ: known, understood
• veditaḥ: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vid (विद्-धातु) + ita (क्त/क्तवत्-सम्भव)
• Form: कृत्-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• tvayā: by you
• tvayā: Kartr̥ (Agent in passive/कर्तृ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3), एकवचन

• yam: which (that)
• yam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; relative pronoun

• śrutvā: having heard
• śrutvā: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (श्रु-धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त (absolutive/gerund)

• sarvanārīṇām: of all women
• sarvanārīṇām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva + nārī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन

• dharma-vṛddhiḥ: increase of dharma
• dharma-vṛddhiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma + vṛddhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• tu: indeed, but
• tu: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण/विरोधसूचक particle

• jāyate: arises, is born
• jāyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jan (जन्-धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Nārada

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) region (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A noble lady (addressed as mahābhāge)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nārada, with vīṇā, praises the lady’s question; the setting suggests a sacred riverbank assembly where dharma is taught.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Mahābhāgā (the Queen/Devī)
• Sarva-nārī (all women)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Right questioning is itself dharma; listening to authentic instruction is said to strengthen dharma in society.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific site is named in this verse; it marks the start of Nārada’s dharma exposition within the Revā Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None yet; Nārada commends the inquiry that will lead to teachings on vratas, dānas, and upavāsas.