Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । तद्दृष्ट्वा पुंडरीकाक्षो गरुडस्य विचेष्टितम् । विस्मितश्चिंतयामास किमिदं सांप्रतं स्थितम्

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | taddṛṣṭvā puṃḍarīkākṣo garuḍasya viceṣṭitam | vismitaściṃtayāmāsa kimidaṃ sāṃprataṃ sthitam

Translation

Sūta sprach: Als der lotusäugige Herr dieses seltsame Geschehen um Garuḍa sah, geriet er in Staunen und sann nach: „Welcher Zustand ist dies, der soeben eingetreten ist?“

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta (the narrator)
• सूतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय-भावकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive), ‘having seen’

• पुंडरीकाक्षः: Puṇḍarīkākṣa (lotus-eyed one)
• पुंडरीकाक्षः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṇḍarīka + akṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• गरुडस्य: of Garuḍa
• गरुडस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: garuḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• विचेष्टितम्: the unusual act/behavior
• विचेष्टितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vi + ceṣṭita (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-आधारित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• विस्मितः: astonished
• विस्मितः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vismita (प्रातिपदिक; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (qualifying the subject)

• चिन्तयामास: pondered
• चिन्तयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चिन्त् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद; ‘to think/ponder’

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Karma/Prashna (Interrogative object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma/Prashna (Interrogative complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• साम्प्रतम्: now, at present
• साम्प्रतम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sāmprata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)

• स्थितम्: occurred/come to be
• स्थितम्: Karma/Prashna (Predicate complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) + स्थित (क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis (Naimiṣāraṇya assembly, implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viṣṇu (Puṇḍarīkākṣa) observes an uncanny change in Garuḍa’s condition; the moment is suspended—eyes widened in wonder, the cosmos attentive to the cause behind the portent.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Puṇḍarīkākṣa (Viṣṇu)
• Garuḍa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the greatest events invite discernment; divine wonder in Purāṇas often signals a deeper dharmic cause behind visible effects.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader section is a Tīrthamāhātmya (glorification of sacred places), but this verse focuses on the narrative turning point rather than naming the site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.