Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

। ऋषय ऊचुः । यदेतद्भवता प्रोक्तं तं मुनिं प्रति सूतज । त्वया पुरा सुरार्थाय प्रपीतः पयसांनिधिः

Transliteration

| ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | yadetadbhavatā proktaṃ taṃ muniṃ prati sūtaja | tvayā purā surārthāya prapītaḥ payasāṃnidhiḥ

Translation

ঋষিসকলে ক’লে: হে সূতপুত্ৰ, আপুনি যি সেই মুনিৰ বিষয়ে ক’লে—দেৱতাসকলৰ হিতৰ বাবে পূৰ্বে কেনেকৈ ক্ষীৰসাগৰ পান কৰা হৈছিল?

Word by Word

• ṛṣayaḥ: sages
• ṛṣayaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛṣi (ऋषि-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• ūcuḥ: said
• ūcuḥ: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (वच् धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• yat: which (that)
• yat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yat (यत्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम

• etat: this
• etat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etat (एतत्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• bhavatā: by you (sir)
• bhavatā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhavat (भवत्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; आदरार्थक सर्वनाम

• proktam: spoken, stated
• proktam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√vac (प्र-वच् धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• tam: that
• tam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• munim: sage
• munim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (मुनि-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• prati: towards, regarding
• prati: Sambandha (Direction/प्रति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prati (प्रति)
• Form: अव्यय; उपसर्गसदृश-पूर्वसर्ग (preposition)

• sūtaja: O son of the charioteer (Sūta)
• sūtaja: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūta (सूत) + ja (ज) (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (sūtasya jaḥ)

• tvayā: by you
• tvayā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (युष्मद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• purā: formerly, once
• purā: Kala-adhikarana (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: purā (पुरा)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

• surārthāya: for the sake of the gods
• surārthāya: Sampradana (Recipient/Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sura (सुर) + artha (अर्थ) (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; चतुर्थी-तत्पुरुषः (surāṇām arthāya)

• prapītaḥ: was drunk up
• prapītaḥ: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√pā (प्र-पा धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• payasāmnidhiḥ: ocean/treasury of waters (the sea)
• payasāmnidhiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: payasām (payas, पयस्-प्रातिपदिक; षष्ठी बहुवचन) + nidhi (निधि-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (payasām nidhiḥ)

Speaker

Ṛṣayaḥ (the sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kṣīroda-samudra (Ocean of Milk)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sūtaja (Sūta’s son)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A circle of sages respectfully question Sūtaja about an astonishing ancient deed: a sage drinking the Ocean of Milk for the gods’ sake; the scene blends āśrama discourse with a visionary backdrop of the milky ocean.

Characters & Entities

• Ṛṣayaḥ
• Sūtaja (Sūta’s son)
• Payasāṃnidhi (Ocean of Milk)
• Devas (Suras)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic teaching proceeds through inquiry; cosmic events are narrated to illuminate dharma and divine purpose.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This is the opening inquiry of a new episode; the tīrtha linkage is developed as the chapter unfolds.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None here; it is a request for the detailed backstory.