Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 191

Devanagari script

तत्र संतिष्ठते गृध्रः स च मे परमः सुहृत् । चिरंतनस्तथा सम्यक्स ते ज्ञास्यति तं नृपम् । कथयिष्यत्यसंदिग्धं मम वाक्यादसंशयम्

Transliteration

tatra saṃtiṣṭhate gṛdhraḥ sa ca me paramaḥ suhṛt | ciraṃtanastathā samyaksa te jñāsyati taṃ nṛpam | kathayiṣyatyasaṃdigdhaṃ mama vākyādasaṃśayam

Translation

Dort weilt ein Geier, und er ist mein größter Freund—uralt und scharfsinnig. Er wird jenen König für dich recht erkennen und die Sache ohne Zweifel berichten, gemäß meinen Worten—ohne Ungewissheit.

Word by Word

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (locative adverb: there)

• saṃtiṣṭhate: stands, remains
• saṃtiṣṭhate: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam + sthā (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• gṛdhraḥ: a vulture
• gṛdhraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gṛdhra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

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

• me: my
• me: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• paramaḥ: supreme, greatest
• paramaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• suhṛt: friend
• suhṛt: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: suhṛd (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; हृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक (irregular stem)

• ciraṃtanaḥ: ancient, long-standing
• ciraṃtanaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ciraṃtana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• tathā: thus, also
• tathā: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/समुच्चयार्थक (thus/also)

• samyak: properly
• samyak: Visheshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: samyak (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (properly, correctly)

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• te: to you
• te: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• jñāsyati: will know/recognize
• jñāsyati: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jñā (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• tam: that
• tam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• nṛpam: king
• nṛpam: Karma (Apposition to object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन

• kathayiṣyati: will tell
• kathayiṣyati: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kathaya (णिजन्त from kath/katth?) (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिजन्त (causative: 'will tell')

• asaṃdigdham: unambiguously
• asaṃdigdham: Visheshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: a + saṃdigdha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् क्रियाविशेषण; नपुंसकलिङ्ग-एकवचन-द्वितीया रूपेण अव्ययीभूत (adverbial accusative: 'without doubt')

• mama: my
• mama: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; षष्ठी, एकवचन

• vākyāt: from (my) statement
• vākyāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vākya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• asaṃśayam: certainly
• asaṃśayam: Visheshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: a + saṃśaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् क्रियाविशेषण; नपुंसकलिङ्ग-एकवचन-द्वितीया रूपेण अव्ययीभूत (adverbial accusative: 'without doubt')

Speaker

Ulūka (owl)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gandhamādana

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On a high crag of Gandhamādana sits an ancient vulture, calm and wise; Ulūka introduces the approaching king. The vulture’s gaze is penetrating yet benevolent, suggesting discernment and assured speech.

Characters & Entities

• Gṛdhra (vulture)
• Ulūka (owl)
• Gandhamādana पर्वत
• Indradyumna (king)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Right knowledge is obtained through trustworthy guides; even unusual beings in Purāṇas can serve dharma as reliable counselors.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Mount Gandhamādana is the implied sacred locus where the ancient guide (the vulture) resides.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the instruction is to consult the ancient being residing at the sacred mountain.