Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

किंप्रमाणं भवेत्तस्य दिवसस्य ब्रवीहि नः । सूत उवाच । अहं वः कीर्तयिष्यामि प्रमाणं दिवसस्य तु

Transliteration

kiṃpramāṇaṃ bhavettasya divasasya bravīhi naḥ | sūta uvāca | ahaṃ vaḥ kīrtayiṣyāmi pramāṇaṃ divasasya tu

Translation

„Welches Maß hat jener ‚Tag‘? Sage es uns.“ Sūta sprach: „Ich werde euch das wahre Maß eines Tages verkünden.“

Word by Word

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रमाणम्: measure/standard
• प्रमाणम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रमाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• भवेत्: would be/is to be
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• तस्य: of that
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• दिवसस्य: of the day
• दिवसस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिवस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• ब्रवीहि: tell (you)
• ब्रवीहि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• नः: to us/our
• नः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Gen./Dat.), बहुवचन (Plural); एत्र दत्तिः—चतुर्थी-अर्थे (to us)

• सूतः: Sūta
• सूतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• वः: to you/your
• वः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Gen./Dat.), बहुवचन (Plural); एत्र दत्तिः—चतुर्थी-अर्थे (to you all)

• कीर्तयिष्यामि: I will describe/recite
• कीर्तयिष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कीर्तय् (धातु; कीर्त्/कीर्तयति)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तम-पुरुष (1st), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• प्रमाणम्: the measure
• प्रमाणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रमाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• दिवसस्य: of the day
• दिवसस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिवस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• तु: indeed/and (emphatic)
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थक (emphatic/contrast)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta, poised to teach, raises a hand in explanation; sages lean forward attentively; behind them a symbolic kāla-cakra (wheel of time) or sun-disc suggests ‘day-measure’.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is practiced in time; hence scripture clarifies standards of time so vows, worship, and auspicious acts align with sacred order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single site is named in this verse; it functions as a transition into doctrinal teaching within the Tīrthamāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An instruction to define time-measures (pramāṇa) that underlie correct vrata and worship scheduling.