Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । तस्य तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा भगवाञ्छशिशेखरः । चिन्तयामास चित्तेन किमत्र सुकृतं भवेत्

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | tasya tadvacanaṃ śrutvā bhagavāñchaśiśekharaḥ | cintayāmāsa cittena kimatra sukṛtaṃ bhavet

Translation

Sūta sprach: Als der Erhabene—Śaśiśekhara—jene Worte vernommen hatte, sann er in seinem Herzen nach: „Welches Vorgehen wäre hier wahrhaft verdienstvoll und gerecht?“

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta (the narrator)
• सूतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

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

• तस्य: of him/that (person)
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (वचनम् इति)

• वचनम्: speech/statement
• वचनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Absolutive/Gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• भगवान्: the Lord
• भगवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• शशिशेखरः: Śaśiśekhara (Śiva, moon-crested)
• शशिशेखरः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शशि (प्रातिपदिक) + शेखर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (शशेः शेखरः = whose crest is the moon)

• चिन्तयामास: thought/pondered
• चिन्तयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चिन्त् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• चित्तेन: with (his) mind
• चित्तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• किम्: what
• किम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• अत्र: here/in this matter
• अत्र: Desha-adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• सुकृतम्: good deed/merit
• सुकृतम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग) + कृत (कृ धातु; क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle used as noun)

• भवेत्: might be/should be
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śaśiśekhara (Śiva) pauses in stillness after hearing a petition; the scene centers on contemplative gaze, crescent moon, and a quiet kṣetra backdrop with anxious brāhmaṇas at a distance.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Śiva (Śaśiśekhara)
• Citraśarmā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True divinity acts with discernment: even when granting boons, the Lord considers what increases sukṛta (merit) and harmony.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The kṣetra is upheld as a place where dharma is decided—its sanctity includes not only geography but righteous resolution.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it emphasizes ethical deliberation in divine action.