Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

को गुरुस्ते समाचक्ष्व परं कौतूहलं हि नः । अहोज्ञानमहो ज्ञानं नैतद्दृष्टं श्रुतं च न

Transliteration

ko guruste samācakṣva paraṃ kautūhalaṃ hi naḥ | ahojñānamaho jñānaṃ naitaddṛṣṭaṃ śrutaṃ ca na

Translation

„Sage uns: Wer ist dein Guru? Denn groß ist unser Staunen. O welch Wissen! Ein solches Wissen haben wir weder gesehen noch auch nur gehört.“

Word by Word

• kaḥ: who
• kaḥ: Prashna (Interrogative subject/प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — प्रश्नार्थक

• guruḥ: teacher
• guruḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• te: your
• te: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन — ‘your’

• samācakṣva: tell, declare
• samācakṣva: Kriyā (Imperative action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ā√cakṣ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; धातु: चक्ष् (to tell/declare) उपसर्ग: सम्+आ; ‘tell (me/us)’

• param: great, supreme
• param: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अत्र ‘कौतूहलम्’ विशेषणम्

• kautūhalam: curiosity, wonder
• kautūhalam: Karta/Viṣaya (Subject/topic/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kautūhala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात) — हेत्वर्थ/निश्चयार्थ ‘indeed/for’

• naḥ: of us, our
• naḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th) बहुवचनस्य एन्क्लिटिक रूपम् — ‘our/of us’

• aho: ah!
• aho: Bhāva (Exclamation/भाव)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: aho (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (विस्मयादिबोधक निपात) — ‘ah!/oh!’

• jñānam: knowledge
• jñānam: Viṣaya (Topic/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jñāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विस्मयवाक्ये

• aho: ah!
• aho: Bhāva (Exclamation/भाव)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: aho (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (विस्मय)

• jñānam: knowledge
• jñānam: Viṣaya (Topic/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jñāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध) — ‘not’

• etat: this
• etat: Karman/Viṣaya (Object/topic/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — ‘this’

• dṛṣṭam: seen
• dṛṣṭam: Viśeṣaṇa (Predicate/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; ‘seen’

• śrutam: heard
• śrutam: Viśeṣaṇa (Predicate/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śru (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; ‘heard’

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

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध)

Speaker

Ṛtvijaḥ (the priests), addressing the jñānī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Seekers, visibly astonished, gesture toward the sage, asking about his guru; their faces show wonder that such knowledge is unheard-of.

Characters & Entities

• guru

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Remarkable spiritual attainment is rooted in guidance—seeking the guru is presented as the natural response to witnessing true wisdom.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is identified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the focus is on the guru-principle rather than a ritual act.