Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 67

Devanagari script

राजन्पृच्छामहे सर्वे वयं कौतूहलान्विताः । यदि ब्रवीषि नः सत्यं देवतायतने स्थितः

Transliteration

rājanpṛcchāmahe sarve vayaṃ kautūhalānvitāḥ | yadi bravīṣi naḥ satyaṃ devatāyatane sthitaḥ

Translation

O König, wir alle fragen dich, von Neugier erfüllt: wenn du uns die Wahrheit sagen willst—während du im Heiligtum der Gottheit stehst—

Word by Word

• rājan: O king
• rājan: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/vocative), एकवचन

• pṛcchāmahe: we ask
• pṛcchāmahe: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pṛcch (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान/present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

• sarve: all (of us)
• sarve: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/nominative), बहुवचन; सर्वनामसदृश

• vayam: we
• vayam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/nominative), बहुवचन; अस्मद्-शब्द

• kautūhala-anvitāḥ: endowed with curiosity
• kautūhala-anvitāḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kautūhala + anvita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √i (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समास: कौतूहल + अन्वित (तत्पुरुष), विशेषण

• yadi: if
• yadi: Sambandha (Condition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (शर्त/निबन्धन) = conditional particle

• bravīṣi: you tell
• bravīṣi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: brū (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान/present), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• naḥ: to us
• naḥ: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/dative) बहुवचन (enclitic); ‘to us’

• satyam: the truth
• satyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: satya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), एकवचन; कर्मरूपेण

• devatā-ayatane: in the deity’s shrine/temple
• devatā-ayatane: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devatā + āyatana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/locative), एकवचन; समास: देवता + आयतन (तत्पुरुष)

• sthitaḥ: standing, situated
• sthitaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sthā (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (saḥ)

Speaker

Ṛṣis (sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A group of sages, hands folded, address a king inside a temple hall; the deity’s sanctum glows in the background, lamps and incense framing the solemnity of truth-speaking.

Characters & Entities

• King (Bṛhatsena, by context)
• Devatāyatana (temple)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Truthfulness gains heightened sanctity within a devatāyatana; sacred space calls for pure speech and intent.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A temple-tīrtha setting in Nāgarakhaṇḍa; the verse emphasizes the devatāyatana (sanctuary) rather than naming the location.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual act is prescribed; the ethical vow implied is satya (truth-speaking) in the deity’s presence.