Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

सा श्रुत्वा जननीवाक्यमृचीकं प्राप्य सुव्रता । अब्रवीज्जननी वाक्यं सर्वं विस्तरतो द्विजाः

Transliteration

sā śrutvā jananīvākyamṛcīkaṃ prāpya suvratā | abravījjananī vākyaṃ sarvaṃ vistarato dvijāḥ

Translation

فلما سمعتْ كلامَ أمِّها، تقدّمتْ تلك السيدةُ العفيفةُ ذاتُ النذر إلى رِشيكا، وأخبرته—على التمام وبالتفصيل—بكل ما قالته أمُّها، يا معشرَ البراهمة.

Word by Word

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), ‘having heard’

• जननी-वाक्यम्: the mother’s words
• जननी-वाक्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जननी (प्रातिपदिक) + वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (जनन्याः वाक्यम्)

• ऋचीकम्: R̥cīka (name)
• ऋचीकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋचीक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• प्राप्य: having approached
• प्राप्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त, ‘having reached/approached’

• सुव्रता: of good vows / virtuous
• सुव्रता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/प्रातिपदिक) + व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (सुन्दरं व्रतं यस्याः)

• अब्रवीत्: said
• अब्रवीत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• जननी: the mother
• जननी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जननी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• वाक्यम्: speech/statement
• वाक्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• सर्वम्: all, entire
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण

• विस्तरतः: in detail
• विस्तरतः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विस्तरतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण), ‘in detail/at length’

• द्विजाः: O twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विजाः: Sambodhana/Address (Vocative-like/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; (सम्बोधनार्थेऽपि प्रयुज्यते)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced from Purāṇic narrative style within Māhātmya sections)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijāḥ (addressed audience)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A virtuous woman, modestly adorned, walks from palace to forest hermitage; she bows before sage Ṛcīka and narrates her mother’s request in full; disciples and sacrificial implements visible.

Characters & Entities

• Ṛcīka
• Mother (jananī)
• Suvratā (virtuous lady)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma begins with truthful, complete communication to a qualified sage, allowing righteous action to be guided by proper counsel.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse is part of the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narrative flow; the specific tīrtha praise is contextual to the chapter rather than named in this single verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed in this verse; it sets up the request that leads to ritual action later (putreṣṭi and caru preparation).