Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 10
Devanagari script
निरीहस्यापि देवेंद्र कौतुकं नो व्यवस्थितम्
Transliteration
nirīhasyāpi deveṃdra kautukaṃ no vyavasthitam
Translation
O Herr der Götter, selbst für den Wunschlosen ist uns dein Anliegen, hierher zu kommen, nicht klar.
Word by Word
निरीहस्यof the desireless/indifferent one
निरीहस्य:
Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
TypeAdjective
Rootनिरीह (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन — Genitive Singular; विशेषण-प्रयोगः
अपिeven/also
अपि:
Avyaya (Particle/निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअपि (अव्यय)
Formनिपात (particle) — concessive/emphatic
देवेन्द्रO Indra, lord of gods
देवेन्द्र:
Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
TypeNoun
Rootदेवेन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन — Vocative Singular; (देव + इन्द्र) तत्पुरुष
कौतुकम्curiosity/wonder
कौतुकम्:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootकौतुक (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/प्रथमा or 2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Nom./Acc. Singular
नःof us/our
नः:
Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootअस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formषष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन — Genitive Plural (enclitic)
व्यवस्थितम्is settled/established
व्यवस्थितम्:
Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate adjective)
TypeAdjective
Rootवि + अव + स्था (धातु) → व्यवस्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
Formभूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — agreeing with ‘कौतुकम्’
Speaker
Brāhmaṇas/Ṛṣis (addressing Indra), as narrated by Viśvāmitra
Visual Art Cues
Scene: A circle of austere brāhmaṇas, calm and radiant, question Indra about his unclear purpose; Indra stands with subdued splendor, suggesting a hidden mission tied to a sacred site.
Characters & Entities
D
Devendra (Indra)B
Brāhmaṇas/ṚṣisFAQs
Even when a visitor is exalted, sages inquire with discernment; humility and clarity are both dharmic.
The hermitage-tīrtha context in the Himālaya, where divine visits become occasions for dharmic dialogue.
None; the verse is an inquiry that prepares for the explanation of Indra’s purpose.