Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । गाधेस्तु याऽथ पत्नी च प्राशनाच्चरु कस्य वै । सापि गर्भं दधे तत्र वासरे मन्त्रतः शुभा

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | gādhestu yā'tha patnī ca prāśanāccaru kasya vai | sāpi garbhaṃ dadhe tatra vāsare mantrataḥ śubhā

Translation

সূত বললেন—হে শুভজনেরা, গাধির পত্নীও চরু-প্রাশনের পর মন্ত্রবলে সেই শুভ দিনেই গর্ভ ধারণ করলেন।

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta
• सूतः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — वक्ता/कर्ता (Sūta)

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

• गाधेः: of Gādhi
• गाधेः: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गाधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन — सम्बन्ध (of Gādhi)

• तु: indeed
• तु: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात) — contrast/emphasis (but/indeed)

• या: who
• या: Karta (Relative subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — सम्बन्ध (who)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Discourse marker (क्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अनन्तर/प्रस्ताव) — then/now

• पत्नी: wife
• पत्नी: Apposition (Co-referent/समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पत्नी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — कर्ता/समनाधिकरण (wife)

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय) — and

• प्राशनात्: from eating
• प्राशनात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्र-आश् (धातु) → प्राशन (कृदन्त/भाव-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन — अपादान (from eating/partaking)

• चरु: caru (sacrificial porridge)
• चरु: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — कर्म (sacrificial porridge)

• कस्य: of whom
• कस्य: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन — प्रश्न (of whom)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात) — emphasis/assurance (indeed)

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — कर्ता (she)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Discourse particle (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/अपि-कार) — also

• गर्भम्: a pregnancy/embryo
• गर्भम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गर्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — कर्म (embryo/pregnancy)

• दधे: conceived
• दधे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धा (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद — ‘दधे’ (she conceived/placed)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Place/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण) — there

• वासरे: on the day
• वासरे: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन — कालाधिकरण (on the day)

• मन्त्रतः: by means of mantra
• मन्त्रतः: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + तः (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (तसिल्/‘-तः’) — ‘मन्त्रतः’ = by/according to mantra (in accordance with mantra)

• शुभा: auspicious
• शुभा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — विशेषण; ‘सा’ विशेषण (auspicious)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa / Sūta narrator)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara Kṣetra (continuing section)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/śaunakādi assembly (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A yajña aftermath scene: Gādhi’s wife receives and eats the consecrated caru; a priest recites mantra; subtle glow indicates immediate conception ‘on that very day’.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Gādhi
• caru
• mantra
• conception

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred rites and mantras are portrayed as channels through which divine order shapes family destiny and dharmic lineages.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader narrative belongs to the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra māhātmya stream of Nāgara Khaṇḍa, though this verse focuses on ritual causality.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It references prāśana (eating) of consecrated caru empowered by mantra—indicative of Vedic-style rite efficacy.