Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 58

Devanagari script

अथाब्रवीत्प्रहस्योच्चैस्त्रिनेत्रश्चतुराननम् । अत्यद्भुततमां श्रुत्वा तां वार्तां यमसंभवाम्

Transliteration

athābravītprahasyoccaistrinetraścaturānanam | atyadbhutatamāṃ śrutvā tāṃ vārtāṃ yamasaṃbhavām

Translation

Da sprach der Dreiaugige Herr, laut auflachend, zu dem viergesichtigen Brahmā, nachdem er jene überaus wunderbare Kunde vernommen hatte, die von Yama gekommen war.

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भसूचक (then/thereupon)

• अब्रवीत्: said/spoke
• अब्रवीत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular)

• प्रहस्य: having laughed
• प्रहस्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रहस् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund); ‘हसित्वा’ (having laughed)

• उच्चैः: aloud
• उच्चैः: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उच्चैः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• त्रिनेत्रः: the three-eyed one (Śiva)
• त्रिनेत्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि (प्रातिपदिक) + नेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘त्रीणि नेत्राणि यस्य’ इति (three-eyed)

• चतुराननम्: the four-faced one (Brahmā)
• चतुराननम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर् (प्रातिपदिक) + आनन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘चत्वारि आननानि यस्य’ (four-faced)

• अत्यद्भुततमाम्: most astonishing
• अत्यद्भुततमाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अति (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + अद्भुत (प्रातिपदिक) + तमप् (तद्धित/सुपरलटिव)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; अतिशयेन अद्भुततम (most wondrous)

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund); ‘श्रवणं कृत्वा’ (having heard)

• ताम्: that
• ताम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• वार्ताम्: account/news
• वार्ताम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वार्ता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• यमसंभवाम्: originating from Yama
• यमसंभवाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यम (प्रातिपदिक) + संभव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘यमात् सम्भवा’ (arising from Yama)

Speaker

Narrator (introducing Śiva’s speech)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In a celestial assembly, Śiva (three-eyed) laughs aloud after hearing an astonishing report delivered from Yama’s sphere; Brahmā (four-faced) listens attentively as the narrative turns toward dharma and destiny.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Trinetra)
• Brahmā (Caturānana)
• Yama

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine events around tīrtha-mahima can overturn expectations; the highest deities respond with insight beyond ordinary fear.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse frames a dialogue in Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya (Adhyāya 95); the specific site is not named in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a narrative transition into Śiva’s explanation.