Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

। पञ्चदशोऽध्यायः । नारद उवाच । नारायणस्तदा देवो जटावल्कलधार्यथ । द्वितीयोऽनुचरस्तस्य ह्याययौ फलहस्तवान्

Transliteration

| pañcadaśo'dhyāyaḥ | nārada uvāca | nārāyaṇastadā devo jaṭāvalkaladhāryatha | dvitīyo'nucarastasya hyāyayau phalahastavān

Translation

Capítulo quince. Dijo Nārada: «Entonces el dios Nārāyaṇa, con las trenzas de asceta y vestido de corteza, y su segundo acompañante llegaron allí llevando frutos en las manos».

Word by Word

• pañcadaśaḥ: fifteenth
• pañcadaśaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pañcadaśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; द्विगुसमासः (pañca+daśa)

• adhyāyaḥ: chapter
• adhyāyaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adhyāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• nāradaḥ: Nārada
• nāradaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nārada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• nārāyaṇaḥ: Nārāyaṇa
• nārāyaṇaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nārāyaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• tadā: then
• tadā: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• devaḥ: the god
• devaḥ: Apposition (समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• jaṭāvalkala-dhārī: wearing matted hair and bark-garments
• jaṭāvalkala-dhārī: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: jaṭā (प्रातिपदिक) + valkala (प्रातिपदिक) + dhārin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (jaṭā+valkala) + उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (…-dhārī = ‘wearing …’)

• atha: then
• atha: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (particle: ‘then/and’)

• dvitīyaḥ: second
• dvitīyaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dvitīya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• anucaraḥ: attendant, follower
• anucaraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anucara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• āyayau: came
• āyayau: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: yā (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• phala-hastavān: having fruits in his hand
• phala-hastavān: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: phala (प्रातिपदिक) + hasta (प्रातिपदिक) + -vat (प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (phala-hasta = ‘fruit in hand’) + वत्-प्रत्ययान्त (possessive)

Speaker

Nārada

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nārāyaṇa appears in a forest as an ascetic—matted locks, bark garments—accompanied by a second attendant carrying fruits, suggesting a quiet, compassionate entry before a rescue.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Nārāyaṇa
• Anucara (attendant)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divinity is shown embracing ascetic simplicity, teaching that sanctity is compatible with renunciation and humble conduct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This opening verse introduces a new episode; the particular tīrtha is not identified in this shloka.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed; the verse describes the ascetic appearance and arrival of Nārāyaṇa and his attendant.