Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

कथं स भगवाञ्छेते बिलद्वारे व्यवस्थितः । एतत्कीर्तय कार्त्स्न्येन परं कौतूहलं हि नः

Transliteration

kathaṃ sa bhagavāñchete biladvāre vyavasthitaḥ | etatkīrtaya kārtsnyena paraṃ kautūhalaṃ hi naḥ

Translation

فكيف يرقد ذلك الرب هناك، وهو قائم عند مدخل الكهف؟ فاذكر لنا ذلك على وجه التفصيل كله، فإن شوقنا إلى المعرفة عظيم.

Word by Word

• कथम्: how?
• कथम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st); एकवचन (Singular)

• भगवान्: the Blessed Lord
• भगवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• शेते: lies, reclines
• शेते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शी (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present); प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person); एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• बिलद्वारे: at the cave-entrance
• बिलद्वारे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बिल + द्वार (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th); एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (बिलस्य द्वारम्)

• व्यवस्थितः: situated, stationed
• व्यवस्थितः: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + अव + स्था (धातु) → व्यवस्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘भगवान्’)

• एतत्: this (matter)
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd); एकवचन

• कीर्तय: tell, recount
• कीर्तय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कीर्तय् (णिजन्त-धातु; √कीर्त्/कीर्)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative); मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person); एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• कार्त्स्न्येन: completely, in full detail
• कार्त्स्न्येन: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्त्स्न्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd); एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे (in the sense of ‘completely’)

• परम्: great, supreme
• परम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘कौतूहलम्’)

• कौतूहलम्: curiosity, wonder
• कौतूहलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौतूहल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle; emphasis/indeed)

• नः: of us, our
• नः: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th); बहुवचन (Plural); एन्क्लिटिक-रूप (enclitic)

Speaker

Ṛṣis (Sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Biladvāra Jalaśāyī (as discussed)

Type: cave

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sūta

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sages leaning forward with raised hands in respectful inquiry, pointing toward the cave entrance; Sūta poised to narrate, with the cave emitting a faint divine glow suggesting an imminent revelation.

Characters & Entities

• Bhagavān (Viṣṇu implied)
• Biladvāra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred-place traditions are validated through detailed narration that connects cosmic theology to local presence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A biladvāra (cave-entrance) locale associated with the resting Lord is the immediate sacred setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a request for complete explanation (kārtsnyena).