Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ऋषय ऊचुः । केलीश्वरी च या देवी श्रूयते सूतनंदन । माहात्म्यं वद नस्तस्या उत्पत्तिं च सुविस्तरात्

Transliteration

ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | kelīśvarī ca yā devī śrūyate sūtanaṃdana | māhātmyaṃ vada nastasyā utpattiṃ ca suvistarāt

Translation

Die Weisen sprachen: „O Sohn des Sūta, wir hören von der Göttin Kelīśvarī. Verkünde uns ihre Größe und auch ihre Herkunft, ausführlich und in aller Weite.“

Word by Word

• ṛṣayaḥ: the sages
• ṛṣayaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• ūcuḥ: said
• ūcuḥ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन

• kelīśvarī: Kelīśvarī
• kelīśvarī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kelīśvarī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेष-नाम

• ca: and
• ca: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• yā: who
• yā: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative)

• devī: goddess
• devī: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• śrūyate: is heard; is spoken of
• śrūyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (is heard/is said)

• sūtanaṃdana: O son of the Sūta
• sūtanaṃdana: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūta-naṃdana (प्रातिपदिक: sūta + naṃdana)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• māhātmyam: the greatness; glory
• māhātmyam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māhātmya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• vada: tell; speak
• vada: Kriya (Command/आज्ञा)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vad (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन

• naḥ: to us; for us
• naḥ: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; षष्ठी (6th/Genitive) बहुवचन (enclitic)

• tasyāḥ: of her
• tasyāḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• utpattim: origin; birth
• utpattim: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: utpatti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• suvistarāt: in full detail
• suvistarāt: Adverbial (manner/source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: su-vistara (प्रातिपदिक: su + vistara)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणार्थे (in great detail)

Speaker

Ṛṣis (Sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kelīśvarī (as queried)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis (collective)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A forest āśrama or assembly: seated sages with matted hair and deer-skins address Sūtanandana (Ugraśravas/descendant figure) requesting the Devī’s māhātmya and origin; palm-leaf manuscripts and sacrificial fire nearby.

Characters & Entities

• Ṛṣis
• Sūta (implied by address)
• Devī Kelīśvarī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Scriptural learning begins with humble inquiry—asking for both origin (utpatti) and sacred significance (māhātmya).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The chapter turn signals a focus on Kelīśvarī’s shrine and its local sanctity within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa tīrtha landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it initiates the māhātmya exposition that typically informs worship and pilgrimage practice.