Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

भगवन्सुकुमारं ते शरीरं प्रथमं वयः । द्वीपानां च करोषि त्वं कथा श्चित्राः पृथक्पृथक्

Transliteration

bhagavansukumāraṃ te śarīraṃ prathamaṃ vayaḥ | dvīpānāṃ ca karoṣi tvaṃ kathā ścitrāḥ pṛthakpṛthak

Translation

হে ভগবন! আপনার দেহ কোমল, যেন প্রথম যৌবনের প্রস্ফুটন; তবু আপনি দ্বীপসমূহের নানা বিচিত্র কাহিনি একে একে বলেন।

Word by Word

• bhagavan: O venerable one
• bhagavan: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhagavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/vocative), एकवचन

• sukumāram: very tender/young
• sukumāram: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sukumāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘śarīram’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• te: your
• te: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, मध्यमपुरुष; षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• śarīram: body
• śarīram: Karta (Topic/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śarīra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; अत्र प्रायः प्रथमा (वाक्ये विषयः)

• prathamam: first/early
• prathamam: Karta (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prathama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘vayaḥ’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• vayaḥ: age/youth
• vayaḥ: Karta (Topic/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vayas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अत्र प्रथमा (विषयः)

• dvīpānām: of the islands/continents
• dvīpānām: Karma (Object-domain/कर्म-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvīpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/and)

• karoṣi: you do/make
• karoṣi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• kathāḥ: stories/accounts
• kathāḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kathā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा, बहुवचन; अत्र द्वितीया (कर्म)

• citrāḥ: wonderful/varied
• citrāḥ: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: citra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘kathāḥ’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• pṛthak-pṛthak: separately, one by one
• pṛthak-pṛthak: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pṛthak (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (पुनरुक्त-अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण/adverb)

Speaker

An unnamed listener (likely a sage/interlocutor) addressing a muni

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: The youthful-looking blessed brāhmaṇa narrator

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A youthful-looking sage/brāhmaṇa is praised for recounting many wondrous dvīpa stories; the listener gestures in amazement, indicating the contrast between tender age and vast knowledge.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True spiritual attainment can manifest as extraordinary knowledge and experience, even when outwardly one appears young.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it frames a broader sacred-geographical discussion within the Tīrthamāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None here; the verse is an observation that introduces inquiry into the source of the sage’s powers.