Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

अब्रवीच्च मुने कस्मात्त्वयैतन्नृत्यतेऽधुना । तस्मात्कार्यं वदाशु त्वं परं कौतूहलं हि नः

Transliteration

abravīcca mune kasmāttvayaitannṛtyate'dhunā | tasmātkāryaṃ vadāśu tvaṃ paraṃ kautūhalaṃ hi naḥ

Translation

Und er sprach: „O Weiser, warum tanzt du jetzt so? Sage schnell den Grund; wahrlich, große Neugier erfüllt uns.“

Word by Word

• abravīt: said
• abravīt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √brū (ब्रू) (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

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

• mune: O sage
• mune: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बोधन (Vocative), पुंलिङ्ग, एकवचन

• kasmāt: why, from what cause
• kasmāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (for what reason)

• tvayā: by you
• tvayā: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• etat: this
• etat: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• nṛtyate: dances
• nṛtyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √nṛt (नृत्) (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• adhunā: now
• adhunā: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: adhunā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• tasmāt: therefore
• tasmāt: Sambandha (Logical connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tasmāt (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तस्मात्/अतः (therefore)

• kāryam: the matter to be done, the task
• kāryam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kārya (कृदन्त; √kṛ कृ)
• Form: भाववाचक/कार्यवाचक, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; 'कर्तव्यम्' अर्थे

• vada: tell
• vada: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vad (वद्) (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• āśu: quickly
• āśu: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: āśu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शीघ्रार्थक (quickly)

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• param: great, intense
• param: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier of kautūhalam)

• kautūhalam: curiosity, wonder
• kautūhalam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kautūhala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• naḥ: of us, our
• naḥ: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive) बहुवचन; 'अस्माकम्' अर्थे

Speaker

Śiva (in brāhmaṇa form, addressing the sage/brāhmaṇa)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage-inquirer (ṛṣi/assembly)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A brāhmaṇa-form Śiva addresses the dancing sage, hand raised in inquiry; the sage is mid-dance, surrounded by hermitage elements, onlookers attentive.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• brāhmaṇa sage (muni)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual experiences should be examined with discernment; inquiry (praśna) opens the way for teaching in Purāṇic dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not explicitly named in this verse; it functions within a tīrtha-māhātmya episode in Nāgarakhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is a question initiating explanation.