Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

ऋषय ऊचुः । जलशायी कथं तत्र संप्राप्तः सूतनन्दन । पूज्यते विधिना केन तत्सर्वं विस्तराद्वद

Transliteration

ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | jalaśāyī kathaṃ tatra saṃprāptaḥ sūtanandana | pūjyate vidhinā kena tatsarvaṃ vistarādvada

Translation

Die ṛṣis sprachen: „O Sohn des Sūta, wie kam Jalaśāyī dazu, dort zu weilen? Nach welchem Ritus wird Er verehrt? Berichte uns alles ausführlich.“

Word by Word

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

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• जलशायी: the one who lies in water (Jalaśāyī)
• जलशायी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल + शायिन् (प्रातिपदिक; √शी/शय् धातु-निष्पन्न)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘जले शायी’ इति सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

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

• संप्राप्तः: arrived, reached
• संप्राप्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + प्र + आप् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• सूतनन्दन: O son of Sūta
• सूतनन्दन: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत + नन्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; ‘सूतस्य नन्दनः’ इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष

• पूज्यते: is worshipped
• पूज्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), कर्मणि प्रयोग (Passive), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• विधिना: by what rite/method
• विधिना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• केन: by which (means)
• केन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; ‘सर्वम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• सर्वम्: all (of it)
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• विस्तरात्: in detail
• विस्तरात्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विस्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे ‘विस्तरेण’ इत्यर्थे प्रयोगः

• वद: tell (speak)
• वद: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Ṛṣis (sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Jalaśāyī (as referenced)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sūta-nandana (addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A forest hermitage assembly of ṛṣis respectfully questioning Sūta’s son about the origin and worship-procedure of Jalaśāyī; palm-leaf manuscripts, sacrificial fires, calm yet intent faces.

Characters & Entities

• Ṛṣis
• Sūtanandana (Sūta)
• Jalaśāyī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred tradition values inquiry: understanding a tīrtha’s origin and its proper worship is part of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Jalaśāyī-Hari sacred place previously introduced; the sages ask for its origin story.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A request for the precise worship-vidhi; the prescription itself follows in subsequent verses.