Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 121

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । तयोस्तं निश्चयं ज्ञात्वा बकः परमदुर्मना । सुचिरं चिंतयामास कथं स्यादेतयोः सुखम्

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | tayostaṃ niścayaṃ jñātvā bakaḥ paramadurmanā | suciraṃ ciṃtayāmāsa kathaṃ syādetayoḥ sukham

Translation

Sūta sprach: „Als er ihren Entschluss erkannte, wurde der Vogel Baka zutiefst bekümmert. Lange sann er nach: ‚Wie kann diesen beiden Wohlergehen zuteilwerden?‘“

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta
• सूतः: Karta (Speaker)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• तयोः: of the two
• तयोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), द्विवचन

• तम्: that
• तम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• निश्चयम्: decision; resolve
• निश्चयम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निश्चय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• ज्ञात्वा: having known
• ज्ञात्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive)

• बकः: Baka (the crane)
• बकः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• परम-दुर्मनाः: extremely dejected
• परम-दुर्मनाः: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक) + दुर्मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (‘परमः दुर्मनाः’); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• सुचिरम्: for a long time
• सुचिरम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सुचिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् क्रियाविशेषण-प्रयोगः (adverbial accusative)

• चिन्तयामास: pondered; thought
• चिन्तयामास: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चिन्त् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Periphrastic Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Sambandha (Question)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक

• स्यात्: might be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Potential)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• एतयोः: of these two
• एतयोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), द्विवचन

• सुखम्: happiness; welfare
• सुखम्: Karta (Subject of ‘स्यात्’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and other ṛṣis (implied traditional Sūta frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta narrates as the bird Baka, distressed, sits apart in contemplation, watching two determined figures; time seems to slow as he searches for a saving solution.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Baka
• Mārkaṇḍeya (implied: one of the two)
• Indradyumna (implied: one of the two)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When dharma faces a crisis, thoughtful deliberation and compassionate counsel become the first step toward saving life and restoring righteousness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it functions as narrative linkage within the broader tīrtha-glorification chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse describes emotional and moral deliberation.