Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

ऋषय ऊचुः । ओषधीनामधीशस्य कथं सोमस्य सूतज । क्षयव्याधिः पुरा जाता उपशांतिं कथं गतः

Transliteration

ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | oṣadhīnāmadhīśasya kathaṃ somasya sūtaja | kṣayavyādhiḥ purā jātā upaśāṃtiṃ kathaṃ gataḥ

Translation

The sages said: O son of Sūta, how did Soma—lord of medicinal herbs—come to suffer the wasting disease in ancient times? And how did it subside?

Word by Word

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

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन

• ओषधीनाम्: of herbs/medicinal plants
• ओषधीनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ओषधी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• अधीशस्य: of the lord
• अधीशस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधीश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• कथम्: how?
• कथम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• सोमस्य: of Soma (Moon)
• सोमस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• सूतज: O son of Sūta
• सूतज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत + ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सूतस्य जः = son of Sūta)

• क्षयव्याधिः: the wasting disease (consumption)
• क्षयव्याधिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षय + व्याधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (क्षयस्य व्याधिः = disease of consumption)

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

• जाता: arisen/occurred
• जाता: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; (जाता = arisen/occurred)

• उपशान्तिम्: to pacification/cessation
• उपशान्तिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपशान्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• कथम्: how?
• कथम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• गतः: went/attained
• गतः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Ṛṣis (sages)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sūta (addressed as sūtaja)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A forest hermitage assembly: sages seated in a semicircle, questioning the Sūta about Soma’s ancient wasting disease and its pacification; subtle lunar iconography (crescent, cool rays) contrasts with the theme of decline.

Characters & Entities

• Ṛṣis
• Sūta
• Soma (Candra)
• oṣadhi (herbs)
• kṣayavyādhi

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Inquiry into sacred history is itself a dharmic act, opening the way to understand the power of tīrthas and devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Indirectly, Somēśvara tīrtha—since the sages are asking about Soma’s cure connected to that worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it initiates the explanatory narrative about disease, worship, and pacification.