Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

अत्र नः संशयो जातः श्रद्धेयमपि ते वचः । श्रुत्वा किं वा भ्रमस्तेऽयं किं वाऽस्माकं प्रकीर्तय

Transliteration

atra naḥ saṃśayo jātaḥ śraddheyamapi te vacaḥ | śrutvā kiṃ vā bhramaste'yaṃ kiṃ vā'smākaṃ prakīrtaya

Translation

Hier ist in uns ein Zweifel entstanden, obgleich deine Worte wahrlich glaubwürdig sind. Nachdem wir dies gehört haben: Ist diese Verwirrung die deine oder die unsere? Erkläre es uns deutlich.

Word by Word

• अत्र: here/in this matter
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (here)

• नः: of us/our
• नः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Case 6), बहुवचनार्थ (plural genitive/enclitic)

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Case 1), एकवचन (Singular)

• जातः: has arisen
• जातः: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जन् (धातु) → जात (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), प्रथमा (Case 1), एकवचन (Singular), पुंलिङ्ग

• श्रद्धेयम्: worthy of faith
• श्रद्धेयम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रद्धेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Case 1/2), एकवचन (Singular)

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक अव्यय (also/even)

• ते: your
• ते: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Case 6), एकवचन (Singular)

• वचः: speech/statement
• वचः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Case 1/2), एकवचन (Singular)

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: श्रु (धातु) → श्रुत्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Case 1/2), एकवचन (Singular); प्रश्नार्थक

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक अव्यय (or)

• भ्रमः: confusion/error
• भ्रमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भ्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Case 1), एकवचन (Singular)

• ते: your
• ते: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Case 6), एकवचन (Singular)

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Case 1), एकवचन (Singular)

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Case 1/2), एकवचन (Singular); प्रश्नार्थक

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक अव्यय (or)

• अस्माकम्: of us/our
• अस्माकम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Case 6), बहुवचन (Plural)

• प्रकीर्तय: tell/declare
• प्रकीर्तय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-कीर्तय् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

Speaker

Ṛṣis (Sages)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijas/ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A circle of attentive brāhmaṇa listeners with folded hands, brows slightly furrowed, respectfully questioning the narrator about an apparent inconsistency in the sacred account.

Characters & Entities

• Ṛṣis
• Sūta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Faith is paired with discernment; sincere doubts should be voiced to receive clear teaching.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it functions as a transition seeking clarification about the previously mentioned sacred locations.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a request for doctrinal/narrative clarification.