Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

मार्कण्डेय उवाच । साधु प्रश्नो महाराज पृष्टो यो वै त्वयोत्तमः । पुराणे विस्तरो ह्यस्य न शक्यो हि मयाधुना

Transliteration

mārkaṇḍeya uvāca | sādhu praśno mahārāja pṛṣṭo yo vai tvayottamaḥ | purāṇe vistaro hyasya na śakyo hi mayādhunā

Translation

马尔坎德耶说道：善哉，伟大的国王啊，你所提出的确是殊胜之问。其圆满铺陈本属《往世书》之广大传统，我此刻难以尽述其全。

Word by Word

• मार्कण्डेयः: Mārkaṇḍeya
• मार्कण्डेयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• साधु: well/indeed good
• साधु: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साधु (अव्यय/सुबन्तवत्)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रशंसावाचक (well/good)

• प्रश्नः: question
• प्रश्नः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रश्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• महाराज: O great king
• महाराज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा-राज (प्रातिपदिक; कर्मधारयः)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• पृष्टः: asked
• पृष्टः: Kriya (Predicate participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘asked’

• यः: which/that (question)
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक (relative pronoun)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात—निश्चयार्थक/अनुनासिक (indeed)

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Kartr-karana (Agent in passive/कर्ता-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• उत्तमः: excellent
• उत्तमः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying praśnaḥ)

• पुराणे: in the Purāṇa
• पुराणे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुराण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; अधिकरणम्

• विस्तरः: detailed account
• विस्तरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विस्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात—हेतौ/निश्चयार्थे

• अस्य: of this/of it
• अस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation)

• शक्यः: possible
• शक्यः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शक् (धातु)
• Form: यत्/ण्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त साध्य-विशेषण (potential/feasible), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘possible’

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात

• मया: by me
• मया: Kartr-karana (Agent in passive/कर्ता-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• अधुना: now
• अधुना: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अधुना (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (now/at present)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Guhāvāsī (context)

Type: cave

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mārkaṇḍeya gently praises the question, then gestures modestly, indicating the immensity of Purāṇic detail beyond the present telling; a palm-leaf manuscript stack suggests vast tradition.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic knowledge is vast; a qualified narrator may give a faithful summary while honoring the tradition’s deeper expanse.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is preparatory; the glorified site is the forthcoming Guhāvāsī sacred place.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.