Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

ऋषय ऊचुः । कथं तत्र समायातं सुपुण्यं पुष्करत्रयम् । कस्मिन्स्थाने च विज्ञेयं कैश्चिह्नैर्वद सूतज

Transliteration

ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | kathaṃ tatra samāyātaṃ supuṇyaṃ puṣkaratrayam | kasminsthāne ca vijñeyaṃ kaiścihnairvada sūtaja

Translation

The sages said: “How did that exceedingly holy triad of Puṣkara pools come to be there? In what place is it to be known, and by what signs? Tell us, O son of Sūta.”

Word by Word

• ऋषयः: the sages
• ऋषयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

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

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्न-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• समायातम्: arrived/come
• समायातम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-आ-या (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'पुष्करत्रयम्' इति विशेषण

• सुपुण्यम्: very holy
• सुपुण्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'पुष्करत्रयम्' इति विशेषण

• पुष्करत्रयम्: the three Pushkaras
• पुष्करत्रयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्कर (प्रातिपदिक) + त्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (त्रयम् पुष्कराणि)

• कस्मिन्: in which
• कस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; प्रश्न-सर्वनाम

• स्थाने: place
• स्थाने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• विज्ञेयम्: to be known/recognized
• विज्ञेयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-ज्ञा (धातु) + तव्य (कृदन्त)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive/obligatory), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'पुष्करत्रयम्' इति विशेषण

• कैः: by which
• कैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; प्रश्न-सर्वनाम

• चिह्नैः: signs/marks
• चिह्नैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चिह्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• वद: tell
• वद: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सूतज: O son of the Sūta
• सूतज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक) + ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (सूतस्य जः)

Speaker

Ṛṣis (sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Puṣkaratraya

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sūta-ja / Sūta-putra (the narrator addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A forest-āśrama gathering: seated ṛṣis with matted locks and deer-skins question Sūta’s son about the ‘Puṣkara-traya’, gesturing toward a distant sacred landscape.

Characters & Entities

• Ṛṣis
• Puṣkara-traya
• Sūta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is not random; sacred sites have origin-stories and identifiable signs preserved through authoritative transmission.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Puṣkara-traya—the three sacred Puṣkara pools—whose origin and markers the sages request.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse requests practical guidance for recognizing the tīrtha.