Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 57

Devanagari script

यत्किञ्चिद्वा श्रुतं लोके पुराणाग्र्यं व्यवस्थितम् । वर्तमानं भविष्यच्च तदहं वेद्मि भो द्विजाः

Transliteration

yatkiñcidvā śrutaṃ loke purāṇāgryaṃ vyavasthitam | vartamānaṃ bhaviṣyacca tadahaṃ vedmi bho dvijāḥ

Translation

Was immer in der Welt vernommen wird und was im erhabensten Purāṇa fest begründet ist—sei es Gegenwärtiges oder Zukünftiges—das alles weiß ich, o Zweimalgeborene.

Word by Word

• yat: whatever
• yat: Karma (Object, with kiñcit)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम (correlative)

• kiñcit: anything
• kiñcit: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अनिश्चितार्थक सर्वनाम (indefinite: 'anything')

• vā: or / even
• vā: Nipāta (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक निपात (disjunctive/optional particle)

• śrutam: heard
• śrutam: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śru (धातु) → śruta (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे (heard)

• loke: in the world
• loke: Adhikaraṇa (Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी, एकवचन

• purāṇa-agryam: the foremost Purāṇa
• purāṇa-agryam: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: purāṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + agrya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (agryaṃ purāṇam = 'the foremost Purāṇa')

• vyavasthitam: well-established
• vyavasthitam: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi + ava + sthā (धातु) → vyavasthita (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (well-established/arranged)

• vartamānam: present
• vartamānam: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vṛt (धातु) → vartamāna (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (present/ongoing)

• bhaviṣyat: future
• bhaviṣyat: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhū (धातु) → bhaviṣyat (कृदन्त)
• Form: भविष्यत्कृदन्त (शतृ/शानच्-प्राय); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (future)

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

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम (referring back to 'whatever...')

• aham: I
• aham: Kartā (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• vedmi: know
• vedmi: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vid (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद; उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन

• bho: O!
• bho: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bho (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बोधन-निपात (vocative particle)

• dvijāḥ: twice-born (Brahmins)
• dvijāḥ: Sambodhana (Vocative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (सम्बोधनार्थे बहुधा), बहुवचन; सम्बोधन (addressing)

Speaker

Sūta

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijāḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A learned speaker addresses assembled dvijas, holding a manuscript of the Purāṇa; behind him, faint imagery of the hidden pādukā shrine suggests the source of his realization; the scene conveys confident proclamation.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Purāṇa
• Dvijāḥ

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic teaching is presented as a reliable tradition, grounded in realization and authorized transmission.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not directly; it supports the authority of the narrator after describing the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra practice.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse emphasizes the narrator’s competence to teach.