Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

। ऋषय ऊचुः । यदेतद्भवता प्रोक्तं तत्र तौ परमेश्वरौ । उमामहेश्वरौ सूत हरिश्चन्द्रेण भूभुजा

Transliteration

| ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | yadetadbhavatā proktaṃ tatra tau parameśvarau | umāmaheśvarau sūta hariścandreṇa bhūbhujā

Translation

Die Weisen sprachen: Was du gesagt hast—über jene beiden höchsten Herren dort, Umā und Maheśvara—o Sūta, berichte, auf welche Weise sie mit König Hariścandra verbunden waren.

Word by Word

• ऋषयः: the sages
• ऋषयः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — 'sages'

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

• यत्: that which
• यत्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — 'which/that (thing)'

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — 'this' (in apposition to यत्)

• भवता: by you
• भवता: Kartr-karana (Agent-instrumental/कर्तृ-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन — 'by you'

• प्रोक्तम्: spoken
• प्रोक्तम्: Karman (Object complement/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + √वच् (धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) — 'spoken/declared'

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक — 'there/in that context'

• तौ: those two
• तौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन — 'those two'

• परम-ईश्वरौ: the supreme lords
• परम-ईश्वरौ: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन — 'the supreme lords'

• उमा-महेश्वरौ: Umā and Maheśvara
• उमा-महेश्वरौ: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उमा (प्रातिपदिक) + महेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन — 'Umā and Maheśvara'

• सूत: O Sūta
• सूत: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन — 'O Sūta'

• हरिश्चन्द्रेण: by Hariścandra
• हरिश्चन्द्रेण: Kartr-karana (Agent-instrumental/कर्तृ-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरिश्चन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन — 'by Hariścandra'

• भू-भुजा: by the king
• भू-भुजा: Kartr-karana (Agent-instrumental/कर्तृ-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक) + भुज् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन — 'by the earth-protector (king)'

Speaker

Ṛṣis (Sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sūta

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A circle of sages respectfully questions Sūta about Umā and Maheśvara and their link to King Hariścandra; the background hints at a Śiva-Umā shrine, setting the stage for a forthcoming legend.

Characters & Entities

• Ṛṣis
• Sūta
• Umā
• Maheśvara (Śiva)
• Hariścandra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred geography is illuminated through exemplary kings and divine presence; inquiry into dharma-driven history is encouraged.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A locale where Umā and Maheśvara are said to be present; the sages request the fuller account, so the site-name is not explicit in this verse alone.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a question that transitions into the narrative explanation.