Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

कस्त्वं मत्स्योदरस्थश्च देवो यक्षोऽथ मानुषः । कथं जीवसि देहांतर्गतो मम वद प्रभो

Transliteration

kastvaṃ matsyodarasthaśca devo yakṣo'tha mānuṣaḥ | kathaṃ jīvasi dehāṃtargato mama vada prabho

Translation

„Wer bist du—der im Bauch des Fisches weilt—Gott, Yakṣa oder Mensch? Wie lebst du, da du in einen Leib eingegangen bist? Sage es mir, o Herr.“

Word by Word

• कः: who
• कः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• मत्स्योदरस्थः: situated in the fish’s belly
• मत्स्योदरस्थः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मत्स्य-उदर-स्थ (प्रातिपदिक; मत्स्य + उदर + स्थ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषः (मत्स्यस्य उदरे स्थितः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• देवः: a god
• देवः: Prashna (Predicate nominal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• यक्षः: a yakṣa
• यक्षः: Prashna (Predicate nominal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• अथ: or/then
• अथ: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तर/विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (then/or)

• मानुषः: a human
• मानुषः: Prashna (Predicate nominal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• जीवसि: do you live
• जीवसि: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जीव् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• देहान्तर्गतः: having entered inside the body
• देहान्तर्गतः: Kriya-viseshana (State/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: देह-अन्तर-गत (प्रातिपदिक; देह + अन्तर + गत)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (देहस्य अन्तरे गतः)

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• वद: tell/say
• वद: Kriya (Command/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• प्रभो: O lord
• प्रभो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Maheśvara (Śiva) speaking within Brahmā’s narration

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Maheśvara, radiant yet composed, addresses the mysterious being within the fish: ‘Who are you—deva, yakṣa, or human? How do you live inside a body?’ The fish is stilled; the moment is charged with suspense and inquiry.

Characters & Entities

• Maheśvara (Śiva)
• Yakṣa
• Matsya (fish)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic tīrtha stories use wonder and inquiry to reveal hidden divine causes behind extraordinary events.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it continues the same city/Kṣīrasāgara episode within Tīrthamāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; this is a narrative question within a divine dialogue.