Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

तस्थुः प्रांजलयः सर्वे तानुवाच पितामहः । किमर्थं म्लानवदना अस्मद्गेहमुपागताः

Transliteration

tasthuḥ prāṃjalayaḥ sarve tānuvāca pitāmahaḥ | kimarthaṃ mlānavadanā asmadgehamupāgatāḥ

Translation

Alle standen mit gefalteten Händen da. Da sprach der Großvater (Brahmā) zu ihnen: „Aus welchem Grund seid ihr mit gesenkten Gesichtern und entmutigtem Herzen in meine Wohnstatt gekommen?“

Word by Word

• तस्थुः: stood
• तस्थुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन

• प्राञ्जलयः: with folded hands
• प्राञ्जलयः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + अञ्जलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (hands folded)

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• तान्: them
• तान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• पितामहः: the Grandfather (Brahmā)
• पितामहः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• किमर्थम्: why / for what reason
• किमर्थम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किमर्थम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb: for what reason)

• म्लानवदनाः: with pale faces
• म्लानवदनाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: म्लान + वदन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; तान्/देवाः इति विशेषण

• अस्मद्गेहम्: my house
• अस्मद्गेहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + गेह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (my house)

• उपागताः: have come / arrived
• उपागताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप + गम् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle) उपागत; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोग (having come)

Speaker

Brahmā (Pitāmaha, Lokapitāmaha)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devas stand with folded hands, faces downcast; Brahmā, composed and paternal, addresses them with a calm, questioning gesture.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the gods approach higher wisdom with humility; distress becomes a doorway to right counsel and dharmic resolution.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse sets the narrative frame within Tīrthamāhātmya; the specific tīrtha is not named in this single śloka.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None here; it is a situational question initiating the episode.