Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 49

Devanagari script

नारद उवाच । अहं ते कथयिष्यामि कथामेतां पुरातनीम् । यथा शंखेश्वरो जातः शंखतीर्थं तु पार्थिव

Transliteration

nārada uvāca | ahaṃ te kathayiṣyāmi kathāmetāṃ purātanīm | yathā śaṃkheśvaro jātaḥ śaṃkhatīrthaṃ tu pārthiva

Translation

নাৰদ ক’লে: হে পাৰ্থিৱ (ৰাজা), মই তোমাক এই প্ৰাচীন কাহিনী ক’ম—কেনেকৈ শঙ্খেশ্বৰ জন্মিল আৰু শঙ্খতীৰ্থ কেনেকৈ স্থাপিত হ’ল।

Word by Word

• nāradaḥ: Nārada
• nāradaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nārada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (कर्ता), एकवचनम्

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (कर्ता), एकवचनम्

• te: to you
• te: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी-विभक्तिः (सम्प्रदान), एकवचनम्; (द्वितीया/चतुर्थी-रूपयोः समानता)

• kathayiṣyāmi: I will narrate
• kathayiṣyāmi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kathaya (धातु; कथय)
• Form: लृट् (simple future), उत्तमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• kathām: story
• kathām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kathā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (कर्म), एकवचनम्

• etām: this
• etām: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (कथाम्)

• purātanīm: ancient
• purātanīm: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: purātanī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (कथाम्)

• yathā: how
• yathā: Prakāra (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बन्ध/प्रकारवाचक-अव्ययम् (how, in what manner)

• śaṃkheśvaraḥ: Śaṅkheśvara
• śaṃkheśvaraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaṃkha + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (कर्ता), एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• jātaḥ: was born
• jātaḥ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jan (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त-भूतकृदन्तम् (past active participle), पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• śaṃkhatīrtham: Śaṅkha-tīrtha (the sacred place named Śaṅkha)
• śaṃkhatīrtham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaṃkha + tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (शंखस्य तीर्थम्)

• tu: indeed, and
• tu: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; अवधान/विरोध/अन्वयार्थक-निपातः (particle: but/indeed)

• pārthiva: O king
• pārthiva: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pārthiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

Speaker

Nārada

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śaṅkhatīrtha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: The King (pārthiva), contextually Siddhasena

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nārada begins an ancient narration, gesturing toward the sacred landscape; the king listens as the story of Śaṅkheśvara and Śaṅkhatīrtha’s origin is announced.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Śaṃkheśvara
• Śaṃkhatīrtha
• King (Pārthiva)
• Siddhasena

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places are rooted in ancient divine narratives; knowing the origin (kathā) deepens faith and the fruit of pilgrimage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śaṃkhatīrtha and its deity Śaṃkheśvara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it begins the explanatory narrative of the tīrtha’s origin.