Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

सर्वतो विस्तराद्वच्मि नमस्कृत्य स्वयं भुवम्

Transliteration

sarvato vistarādvacmi namaskṛtya svayaṃ bhuvam

Translation

Nachdem ich mich vor Svayaṃbhū (Brahmā) ehrfürchtig verneigt habe, will ich es vollständig und im Einzelnen, von allen Seiten her, berichten.

Word by Word

• sarvataḥ: in every way/fully
• sarvataḥ: Sambandha (Adverbial modifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sarvataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: in every way/from all sides)

• vistarāt: in detail/at length
• vistarāt: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vistara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine) वा नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन (Singular); अव्ययीभावार्थे (adverbial: in detail)

• vacmi: I speak/tell
• vacmi: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (Singular)

• namaskṛtya: having bowed/saluted
• namaskṛtya: Sambandha (Prior action/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: namas-kṛ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययभाव (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वक्रिया (having done)

• svayam: personally
• svayam: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: svayam (अव्यय)
• Form: स्वार्थक-अव्यय (indeclinable: oneself)

• bhuvam: the Earth
• bhuvam: Karma (Object of namaskṛtya/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhuva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara (narration to follow)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvija-śreṣṭhas/Rishis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta performs a respectful namaskāra to Svayaṃbhū (Brahmā) before commencing the detailed account; Brahmā may be envisioned seated on a lotus, four-faced, with Vedas.

Characters & Entities

• Svayaṃbhū (Brahmā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic teaching begins with reverence to the divine source; humility and invocation sanctify the telling of sacred geography.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Puṣkara (the forthcoming detailed account concerns Puṣkara’s sacred origin and greatness).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Namaskāra (salutation) to Svayaṃbhū (Brahmā) prior to narration.