Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । एतद्वः सर्वमाख्यातं धर्मराजसुतोद्भवम् । आख्यानं ब्राह्मणश्रेष्ठा धर्मवृद्धिकरं परम्

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | etadvaḥ sarvamākhyātaṃ dharmarājasutodbhavam | ākhyānaṃ brāhmaṇaśreṣṭhā dharmavṛddhikaraṃ param

Translation

Sūta said: “Thus I have told you all about the birth of Dharmarāja’s son. O best of brāhmaṇas, this supreme narrative is a cause for the increase of dharma.”

Word by Word

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

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

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• वः: of you / to you (your)
• वः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural)

• सर्वम्: all, entire
• सर्वम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• आख्यातम्: told, narrated
• आख्यातम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-ख्या (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past passive participle, क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगार्थे (as predicate: 'has been told')

• धर्मराजसुतोद्भवम्: arising from Dharmarāja’s son
• धर्मराजसुतोद्भवम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्मराज (प्रातिपदिक) + सुत (प्रातिपदिक) + उद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (धर्मराजस्य सुतस्य उद्भवम् = arising from Dharmarāja's son)

• आख्यानम्: narrative, story
• आख्यानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आख्यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन

• ब्राह्मणश्रेष्ठाः: O best of Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणश्रेष्ठाः: Sambodhana/Address (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ब्राह्मणानां श्रेष्ठाः)

• धर्मवृद्धिकरम्: causing increase of dharma
• धर्मवृद्धिकरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + वृद्धि (प्रातिपदिक) + कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (धर्मस्य वृद्धिं करोति)

• परम्: supreme, excellent
• परम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śrīhāṭakeśvara-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas (śaunaka-ādi style audience implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta, seated in a forest-āśrama or yajña-sabhā, concludes the account before attentive brāhmaṇas; palm-leaf manuscripts, kuśa grass seats, and a calm sacrificial ambience.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Dharmarāja (Yama)
• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Brāhmaṇas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Hearing and preserving dharmic narratives is itself dharma-enhancing, strengthening moral order and devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this concluding verse; it frames the story as dharma-increasing within the māhātmya setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, śravaṇa (hearing) and kathā (narrative recitation) as dharma-vṛddhi practices; no specific rite is commanded here.