Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

नारद उवाच । अतः परं किमभवत्तन्मे कथय सुव्रत । पूर्वं च तदशेषेण शंस मे वदताम्बर

Transliteration

nārada uvāca | ataḥ paraṃ kimabhavattanme kathaya suvrata | pūrvaṃ ca tadaśeṣeṇa śaṃsa me vadatāmbara

Translation

নারদ বললেন—এরপর কী ঘটল, তা আমাকে বলুন, হে সুব্রত। আর পূর্বে যা ঘটেছিল, তাও সম্পূর্ণভাবে বর্ণনা করুন, হে বাক্যশ্রেষ্ঠ।

Word by Word

• नारदः: Narada
• नारदः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अतः: thereafter
• अतः: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतः (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतुवाचक/क्रमवाचक-अव्यय (thereafter/therefore)

• परम्: next / further
• परम्: Adhikarana (Time/Sequence)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोगे अव्ययवत् (adverbial accusative)

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• अभवत्: happened
• अभवत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• मे: to me / for me
• मे: Sampradana (Beneficiary/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• कथय: tell
• कथय: Kriya (Command/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सुव्रत: O one of good vows
• सुव्रत: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु-व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन; समासः—सुव्रत = शोभनं व्रतं यस्य (बहुव्रीहि-प्राय), सम्बोधनरूपेण

• पूर्वम्: earlier / first
• पूर्वम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् (adverbial accusative)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• अशेषेण: completely / without remainder
• अशेषेण: Adhikarana (Manner/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-एकवचन-प्रयोगे अव्ययवत् (instrumental used adverbially)

• शंस: relate / declare
• शंस: Kriya (Command/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शंस् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मे: to me
• मे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी (4th) वा षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; अत्र ‘मे’ = मह्यम् (to me) इत्यर्थे (दत्तिवत् प्रयोगः)

• वदताम्बर: O best among speakers
• वदताम्बर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वदत् (कृदन्त, शतृ) + अम्बर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन; समासः—वदताम्बर = वदतां (वक्तॄणाम्) अम्बरं यस्य (श्रेष्ठः) इति बहुव्रीहि; ‘वक्तॄणां श्रेष्ठ’ इत्यर्थे

Speaker

Nārada

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nārada

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sage Nārada seated with vīṇā, respectfully questioning a revered narrator; forest-āśrama or assembly setting; scrolls and sacrificial implements nearby.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Humble inquiry before a worthy authority is the gateway to dharma-knowledge in Purāṇic tradition.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this verse; it introduces a doctrinal/narrative inquiry.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is a dialogue prompt requesting a complete account.