Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

अर्जुन उवाच । देवर्षे वर्ण्यते चेयं कथा पीयूषसोदरा । पुनरेतन्मुने ब्रूहि यदा वेत्ति महेश्वरः

Transliteration

arjuna uvāca | devarṣe varṇyate ceyaṃ kathā pīyūṣasodarā | punaretanmune brūhi yadā vetti maheśvaraḥ

Translation

阿周那说道：“天仙圣者啊，此故事甘若甘露。请再为我宣说一次，牟尼啊——摩诃湿伐罗何时得知此事？”

Word by Word

• arjunaḥ: Arjuna
• arjunaḥ: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: arjuna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Speech act/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• devarṣe: O divine sage
• devarṣe: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devarṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• varṇyate: is described
• varṇyate: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: varṇ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (Passive)

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

• iyam: this
• iyam: Karta (Subject of passive/कर्ता-स्थानी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• kathā: story
• kathā: Karta (Apposition/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kathā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• pīyūṣa-sodarā: nectar-like (very sweet)
• pīyūṣa-sodarā: Karta (Qualifier of kathā/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pīyūṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + sodara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'nectar's sister' = nectar-like); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• punaḥ: again
• punaḥ: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरावृत्ति/कालवाचक-अव्यय (again)

• etat: this (matter)
• etat: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• mune: O sage
• mune: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• brūhi: tell (me)
• brūhi: Kriya (Command/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: brū (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• yadā: when
• yadā: Sambandha (Temporal connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (when)

• vetti: knows
• vetti: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vid (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• maheśvaraḥ: Maheśvara (Śiva)
• maheśvaraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maheśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Arjuna

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Arjuna

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Arjuna, seated respectfully with folded hands, addresses a radiant devarṣi; the atmosphere is that of a forest hermitage or quiet assembly where sacred narrative is being recited.

Characters & Entities

• Arjuna
• Maheśvara (Śiva)
• Devarṣi (unnamed)
• Muni (unnamed)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred narration is transformative; earnest questioning (praśna) is honored as a path to deeper dharma-knowledge.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned in this opening verse; it sets up the next segment of the discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse centers on śravaṇa (listening) and inquiry.