Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

श्रीनारद उवाच । अहं हि सुरकार्येण संप्राप्योऽत्र तवांतिकम् । गरुडो वै ब्राह्मणाय यन्मां पृच्छसि केशव

Transliteration

śrīnārada uvāca | ahaṃ hi surakāryeṇa saṃprāpyo'tra tavāṃtikam | garuḍo vai brāhmaṇāya yanmāṃ pṛcchasi keśava

Translation

Śrī Nārada sprach: „Ich bin in deiner Gegenwart hierher gelangt im Auftrag der Götter. Und Garuḍa ist um eines Brāhmaṇa willen gekommen — danach fragst du mich, o Keśava.“

Word by Word

• श्री-नारदः: revered Narada
• श्री-नारदः: Karta (Speaker/subject of ‘uvāca’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री + नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (उपाधि/विशेषणपूर्वक): श्रीमान् नारदः; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), परस्मैपदी, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/particle: emphasis/indeed)

• सुरकार्येण: for the gods’ task
• सुरकार्येण: Hetu/Karaṇa (Cause/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर + कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास: सुराणां कार्यम्; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; हेतौ/करणे

• संप्राप्यः: (one) who has come/was to reach
• संप्राप्यः: Karta (Predicate adjective to ‘aham’)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+प्र√आप् (धातु)
• Form: यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive/भाव्य), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘to be reached/one who should reach’—here sense: ‘having to reach/being destined to reach’

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक/adverb of place)

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• अन्तिकम्: presence/nearby place
• अन्तिकम्: Karman (Goal/object of motion)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; गत्यर्थे कर्म (goal)

• गरुडः: Garuḍa
• गरुडः: Karta (Subject; implied ‘(am)’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गरुड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात: emphasis/indeed)

• ब्राह्मणाय: for a brahmin
• ब्राह्मणाय: Sampradāna (Recipient/for)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/dative), एकवचन

• यत्: since/that
• यत्: Sambandha (Clause linker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय-प्रयोग (सम्बन्ध/यत्-तत् construction): ‘because/that which’ introducing clause

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karman (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• पृच्छसि: you ask
• पृच्छसि: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √प्रच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), परस्मैपदी, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन

• केशव: O Keshava
• केशव: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केशव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Nārada

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Viṣṇu (Keśava)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nārada, holding vīṇā, speaks respectfully before Viṣṇu, explaining his divine mission; Garuḍa stands nearby, powerful yet deferential, representing urgent aid for a brāhmaṇa.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Garuḍa
• Keśava (Viṣṇu)
• Brāhmaṇa
• Devas (Suras)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cosmic order is upheld through dharmic missions; even divine beings act to protect brāhmaṇas and the gods’ purposes.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not named in this verse; it introduces a divine mission within the broader tīrtha narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse frames a dharmic cause (surakārya, brāhmaṇa-artha).