Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मण उवाच । लक्षणानि शिशोरस्य दृश्यंते यानि सन्मुने । गात्रस्थानि भवेत्सत्यं तैः पुमानजरामरः

Transliteration

brāhmaṇa uvāca | lakṣaṇāni śiśorasya dṛśyaṃte yāni sanmune | gātrasthāni bhavetsatyaṃ taiḥ pumānajarāmaraḥ

Translation

Der Brāhmaṇa sprach: „O guter Weiser, die am Körper dieses Kindes sichtbaren Zeichen—wenn sie wahrhaft an ihren rechten Stellen fest bestehen—künden von einem Mann, der frei von Altern und Tod sein wird.“

Word by Word

• ब्राह्मणः: the Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार, परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• लक्षणानि: signs/marks
• लक्षणानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• शिशोः: of the child
• शिशोः: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिशु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• अस्य: of this (one)
• अस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दृश्यन्ते: are seen/appear
• दृश्यन्ते: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (are seen)

• यानि: which
• यानि: Anuyogin (Correlative/अनुयोगिन्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• सन्: O good (one)
• सन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत् (अस् (धातु) + शतृ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (being/virtuous)

• मुने: O sage
• मुने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• गात्रस्थानि: located on the body
• गात्रस्थानि: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गात्र + स्थान (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (गात्रस्य स्थानि = on the body/located on the limbs)

• भवेत्: would be/should be
• भवेत्: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• सत्यम्: truly
• सत्यम्: Sambandha (Assertion/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् वाक्योपपद (indeed/truly)

• तैः: by those (signs)
• तैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन

• पुमान्: a man/person
• पुमान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुमांस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अजरामरः: ageless and deathless
• अजरामरः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ + जरा + अमर (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (अजरा च अमरश्च) / द्वन्द्वाभास-विशेषण; नञ्-पूर्वपद (not subject to old age)

Speaker

Brāhmaṇa (unnamed seer)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mṛkaṇḍu (addressed as san-muni)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The brāhmaṇa speaks with calm authority, indicating specific auspicious marks on the child’s body; the child appears radiant and composed; Mṛkaṇḍu listens intently, the atmosphere charged with prophecy.

Characters & Entities

• brāhmaṇa
• Mṛkaṇḍu (addressed as sage)
• child (śiśu)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Karma and divine order manifest through signs, yet their fulfillment depends on truth, dharma, and higher causes.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this verse; it supports the larger Tīrthamāhātmya storyline through prophetic description.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it discusses bodily signs (lakṣaṇas) rather than a rite.