Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

। ऋषय ऊचुः । ब्रह्मणा कतमे स्थाने तत्र सूत कृतं तपः । वालखिल्यैश्च तैः सर्वैर्मुनिभिः शंसितव्रतैः

Transliteration

| ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | brahmaṇā katame sthāne tatra sūta kṛtaṃ tapaḥ | vālakhilyaiśca taiḥ sarvairmunibhiḥ śaṃsitavrataiḥ

Translation

The sages said: “O Sūta, in which place was austerity performed there by Brahmā, and by all those Vālakhilya sages—ascetics praised for their vows?”

Word by Word

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

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• ब्रह्मणा: by Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case, instrumental), एकवचन

• कतमे: in which (among many)
• कतमे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कतम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक विशेषण स्थाने

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

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Avyaya (Adverbial/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (locative adverb)

• सूत: O Sūta
• सूत: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, संबोधन (vocative), एकवचन

• कृतम्: done, performed
• कृतम्: Karta (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण तपः

• तपः: austerity, penance
• तपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• वालखिल्यैः: by/with the Vālakhilyas
• वालखिल्यैः: Sahakari (Association/सहकारी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वालखिल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Avyaya (Connector/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• तैः: by/with those
• तैः: Sahakari (Association/सहकारी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• सर्वैः: all
• सर्वैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण मुनिभिः

• मुनिभिः: by/with sages
• मुनिभिः: Sahakari (Association/सहकारी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• शंसितव्रतैः: whose vows are praised / of praised vows
• शंसितव्रतैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शंसित (कृदन्त from शंस् धातु) + व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय: शंसितं व्रतं येषां ते (praised vows) विशेषण मुनिभिः

Speaker

Ṛṣis (Sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Haravedī (as kṣetra-context)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sūta

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Forest council of sages questioning Sūta; behind them, a visionary hint of Brahmā and tiny Vālakhilya ascetics engaged in severe tapas at a designated spot.

Characters & Entities

• Ṛṣis
• Sūta
• Brahmā
• Vālakhilya sages

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred geography is learned through inquiry: knowing where great beings practiced tapas guides pilgrimage and practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The question concerns the precise spot within the same tīrtha-region being described in the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No prescription; it is a request for location-specific information about Brahmā’s and the Vālakhilyas’ austerities.