Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 70

Devanagari script

वर्षेवर्षे सदा प्राप्ते नूनं त्वं वेत्सि कारणम् । रहस्यं यदि ते न स्यात्तद्ब्रवीहि नराधिप

Transliteration

varṣevarṣe sadā prāpte nūnaṃ tvaṃ vetsi kāraṇam | rahasyaṃ yadi te na syāttadbravīhi narādhipa

Translation

Da du Jahr um Jahr unfehlbar kommst, kennst du gewiss den Grund. Wenn es für dich kein Geheimnis ist, so sprich, o Herrscher der Menschen.

Word by Word

• वर्षे: in the year
• वर्षे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे (locative of time: 'in the year')

• वर्षे: year after year
• वर्षे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (reduplication)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• प्राप्ते: when (it) has arrived
• प्राप्ते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राप्त (कृदन्त; √प्राप् धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; 'प्राप्ते (काले)'—सप्तमी absolute-like time reference

• नूनम्: surely
• नूनम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नूनम् (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (particle of certainty)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, उत्तमपुरुषार्थे (2nd person), प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• वेत्सि: know
• वेत्सि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √विद् (धातु; वेद/विद्)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन

• कारणम्: the reason
• कारणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• रहस्यम्: the secret
• रहस्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रहस्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; अत्र कर्मरूपेण (as object of 'bravīhi')

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Clause linker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक-अव्यय (conditional conjunction)

• ते: to you / of you
• ते: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन (genitive: 'of you/for you')

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation particle)

• स्यात्: should be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; 'that (secret)'

• ब्रवीहि: tell (me)
• ब्रवीहि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन

• नराधिप: O king (lord of men)
• नराधिप: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर + अधिप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (नराणाम् अधिपः), पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

Speaker

Ṛṣis (sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sages press gently for the reason behind the king’s yearly arrival; the king stands as a habitual pilgrim, travel-worn yet devoted, with temple banners suggesting a recurring festival season.

Characters & Entities

• Annual pilgrimage
• King (narādhipa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Regular, yearly return to a sacred place implies a purposeful vow; dharma invites transparent sharing when asked by the wise.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A Nāgarakhaṇḍa tīrtha connected to a Śiva-liṅga and vigil observance; the name is not in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No new ritual is prescribed; the verse emphasizes recurring annual observance (a repeated vrata/pilgrimage).