Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ऋषय ऊचुः । चित्रेश्वरमिदं पीठमगस्त्यमुनिनिर्मितम् । यत्प्रमाणं यत्प्रभावं तदस्माकं प्रकीर्तय

Transliteration

ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | citreśvaramidaṃ pīṭhamagastyamuninirmitam | yatpramāṇaṃ yatprabhāvaṃ tadasmākaṃ prakīrtaya

Translation

Die Weisen sprachen: „Dieser Pīṭha namens Citreśvara wurde vom Weisen Agastya errichtet. Verkünde uns sein Maß (Gestalt/Ausdehnung) und seine geistige Kraft – beschreibe es uns.“

Word by Word

• ऋषयः: sages
• ऋषयः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• चित्रेश्वरम्: Citreśvara (name of the deity/place)
• चित्रेश्वरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चित्र + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• पीठम्: sacred seat/peetha
• पीठम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पीठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• अगस्त्य-मुनि-निर्मितम्: made by sage Agastya
• अगस्त्य-मुनि-निर्मितम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अगस्त्य (प्रातिपदिक) + मुनि (प्रातिपदिक) + निर्मित (कृदन्त; √मा/मि 'निर्मा' धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); भूतकृदन्त (Past passive participle)

• यत्-प्रमाणम्: what (is) its measure/authority
• यत्-प्रमाणम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + प्रमाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• यत्-प्रभावम्: what (is) its power/effect
• यत्-प्रभावम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + प्रभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• अस्माकम्: to us / of us
• अस्माकम्: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• प्रकीर्तय: proclaim/tell
• प्रकीर्तय: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + कीर्त् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Ṛṣayaḥ (Sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Citreśvara-pīṭha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sūta (as respondent)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Forest-āśrama setting: a circle of sages respectfully questioning Sūta about Citreśvara, with a distant suggestion of a Śiva-pīṭha/linga established by Agastya.

Characters & Entities

• Ṛṣayaḥ
• Citreśvara
• Agastya
• pīṭha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred geography is to be learned through inquiry and listening—knowing a tīrtha’s form and power guides proper devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Citreśvara-pīṭha, attributed to Agastya’s establishment.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the sages request details of the site’s pramāṇa (extent/description) and prabhāva (spiritual efficacy).