Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

पुरा ब्रह्ममुखाच्छ्रुत्वा नानाव्रतविधानकम् । नारदः परिपप्रच्छ भूयो ब्रह्माणमादरात्

Transliteration

purā brahmamukhācchrutvā nānāvratavidhānakam | nāradaḥ paripapraccha bhūyo brahmāṇamādarāt

Translation

Formerly, having heard from Brahmā’s own mouth the various rules and procedures of vows, Nārada again questioned Brahmā with reverence.

Word by Word

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kala-adhikarana (काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• ब्रह्ममुखात्: from Brahmā’s mouth
• ब्रह्ममुखात्: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (ब्रह्मणः मुखम्)

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), ‘having heard’

• नानाव्रतविधानकम्: the ordinance/description of various vows
• नानाव्रतविधानकम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नाना + व्रत + विधानक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (कर्मपदं, श्रुत्वा इत्यस्य); तत्पुरुष-समास (नानाविधानं व्रतानाम्)

• नारदः: Nārada
• नारदः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• परिपप्रच्छ: asked repeatedly/in detail
• परिपप्रच्छ: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; उपसर्ग: परि-

• भूयः: again; further
• भूयः: Kriya-vishesana (क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भूयस् (अव्यय/निपातवत्)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), पुनरर्थ/अधिक्यर्थ ‘again/more’

• ब्रह्माणम्: Brahmā
• ब्रह्माणम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• आदरात्: out of respect
• आदरात्: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थ ‘out of respect’

Speaker

Sūta (narrating the embedded frame story)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Munis (outer frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nārada, veena in hand, stands with folded palms before four-faced Brahmā seated on a lotus; surrounding are subtle symbols of vows—water pot, kusa grass, lamp, and calendar-like seasonal motifs.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Nārada

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverent questioning (praśna) is honored as a means to clarify dharma and deepen practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified in this verse; it introduces the Brahmā–Nārada instructional frame for the Cāturmāsya vow.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It references vrata-vidhāna (procedures of vows) generally; the detailed prescriptions are to follow in the discourse.