Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । इति बाभ्रव्यवचनमाकर्ण्य कुरुनन्दनः । प्राणमन्नारदं भक्त्या विस्मितः पुलकान्वितः

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | iti bābhravyavacanamākarṇya kurunandanaḥ | prāṇamannāradaṃ bhaktyā vismitaḥ pulakānvitaḥ

Translation

সূত বললেন—বাভ্রব্যের এই বাক্য শুনে কুরুদের আনন্দ কুরুনন্দন ভক্তিভরে নারদকে প্রণাম করল। বিস্ময়ে তার দেহে রোমাঞ্চ জাগল।

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta
• सूतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-समाप्ति सूचक अव्यय

• बाभ्रव्य-वचनम्: Bābhravya's statement
• बाभ्रव्य-वचनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाभ्रव्य (प्रातिपदिक) + वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative): ‘बाभ्रव्यस्य वचनम्’; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आकर्ण्य: having heard
• आकर्ण्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ + कर्ण्/कृ (धातु: कर्णयति/श्रवणे) + ल्यप् → आकर्ण्य
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त अव्यय (absolutive); पूर्वक्रिया (having heard)

• कुरुनन्दनः: the delight of the Kurus (Arjuna)
• कुरुनन्दनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुरु (प्रातिपदिक) + नन्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘कुरूणां नन्दनः’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्राणमन्: bowed/saluted
• प्राणमन्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + नम् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; छान्दस/पुराण-प्रयोगे ‘प्राणमत्/प्राणमन्’ (he bowed)

• नारदम्: Nārada
• नारदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विस्मितः: astonished
• विस्मितः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विस्मित (प्रातिपदिक; क्त-कृदन्त from स्मि/स्मय्)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तृविशेषण (astonished)

• पुलकान्वितः: endowed with goosebumps
• पुलकान्वितः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुलक (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्वित (प्रातिपदिक; क्त from अन्वि/अनु+इ)
• Form: तृतीया-तत्पुरुष/उपपद-समासार्थ: ‘पुलकेन अन्वितः’ (endowed with horripilation); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Guptakṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (frame implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta narrates; a Kuru prince (Kurunandana) stands with folded hands, bowing to Nārada; his skin shows goosebumps; Bābhravya nearby as the prior speaker; hermitage audience attentive.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Bābhravya
• Nārada
• Kuru-nandana (Kuru prince)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverent listening to sacred teaching culminates in humility and devotion toward realized sages.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The chapter transition sets up the glorification of Guptakṣetra and the Gautameśvara-liṅga; the site details unfold in subsequent verses.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse models devotional etiquette: bowing to the sage (praṇāma) after hearing sacred discourse.