Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । सा गत्वा त्रिदिवं पश्चात्सहस्राक्षं सुरैर्युतम् । प्रोवाच भगवन्दिष्ट्या क्षोभितोऽसौ महामुनिः

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | sā gatvā tridivaṃ paścātsahasrākṣaṃ surairyutam | provāca bhagavandiṣṭyā kṣobhito'sau mahāmuniḥ

Translation

Sūta sprach: Darauf ging sie nach Tridiva (in den Himmel) und redete zu Sahasrākṣa (Indra), der von den Göttern begleitet war: „O Herr, durch Fügung des Geschicks ist jener große Weise wahrlich aufgewühlt worden.“

Word by Word

• sūtaḥ: Sūta
• sūtaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; speaker noun

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्शभूत/Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• sā: she
• sā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• gatvā: having gone
• gatvā: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gam (धातु) + त्वा-प्रत्यय (गत्वा)
• Form: अव्यय-कृदन्त (क्त्वान्त/त्वान्त), absolutive/gerund = having gone

• tridivam: heaven
• tridivam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tridiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (त्रयाणां दिवानां/त्रिदिव = स्वर्ग); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• paścāt: afterwards
• paścāt: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: paścāt (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक-क्रियाविशेषण) = afterwards

• sahasrākṣam: the thousand-eyed (Indra)
• sahasrākṣam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sahasra (प्रातिपदिक) + akṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास: सहस्रम् अक्षाणि यस्य = thousand-eyed (Indra); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• suraiḥ: with the gods
• suraiḥ: Sahakari (Association/सहकारी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; instrumental plural

• yutam: accompanied
• yutam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √yuj (धातु) + क्त-प्रत्यय (युक्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; sahasrākṣam इति विशेषण

• provāca: said (to him)
• provāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + √vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्शभूत/Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• bhagavan: O Lord
• bhagavan: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhagavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (सम्बोधन), एकवचन; vocative

• diṣṭyā: fortunately
• diṣṭyā: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: diṣṭi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत्/निपातप्रयोग: ‘diṣṭyā’ = fortunately/by good luck (interjectional instrumental used adverbially)

• kṣobhitaḥ: agitated
• kṣobhitaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √kṣubh (धातु) + क्त-प्रत्यय (क्षोभित)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; asau mahāmuniḥ इति विशेषण

• asau: that (one)
• asau: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adas (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; demonstrative pronoun ‘that/he’

• mahāmuniḥ: the great sage
• mahāmuniḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (narrative source)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and Naimiṣāraṇya sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta narrates: Rambhā arrives in Svarga and speaks to Indra (Sahasrākṣa) seated with the gods; she reports the sage has been ‘provoked’ by destiny.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Indra (Sahasrākṣa)
• Devas
• Jābāli (implied: the great sage)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even celestial powers acknowledge that disturbing a great sage has consequences—tapas and spiritual authority are to be revered.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra māhātmya framework of the Nāgarakhaṇḍa, though the line itself narrates events in heaven.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it is narrative setup.