Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

ऋषय ऊचुः । ब्रह्मज्ञानस्य संप्राप्तिर्मर्त्यानां जायते कथम् । एतन्नः सर्वमाचक्ष्व यदि त्वं वेत्सि सूतज

Transliteration

ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | brahmajñānasya saṃprāptirmartyānāṃ jāyate katham | etannaḥ sarvamācakṣva yadi tvaṃ vetsi sūtaja

Translation

Los sabios dijeron: “¿Cómo surge en los mortales la obtención del Brahma-jñāna? Cuéntanos todo esto, si lo sabes, oh hijo de Sūta.”

Word by Word

• ऋषयः: 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), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• ब्रह्मज्ञानस्य: of Brahma-knowledge
• ब्रह्मज्ञानस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक; ब्रह्म + ज्ञान)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• संप्राप्तिः: attainment
• संप्राप्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संप्राप्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• मर्त्यानाम्: of mortals
• मर्त्यानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• जायते: arises/comes to be
• जायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• कथम्: how?
• कथम्: Prashna/Avyaya (Interrogative modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नाव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• नः: to us / our
• नः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive) बहुवचन-प्रयोग (enclitic), ‘our/of us’

• सर्वम्: all (entirely)
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying एतत्)

• आचक्ष्व: tell/explain
• आचक्ष्व: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + चक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन

• यदि: if
• यदि: Avyaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बन्धाव्यय (conditional conjunction)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• वेत्सि: know
• वेत्सि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन

• सूतज: O son of Sūta
• सूतज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूतज (प्रातिपदिक; सूत + ज)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Ṛṣis (Sages)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sūta

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A forest hermitage assembly: seated ṛṣis with matted locks and deer-skins question Sūta respectfully, palm-leaf manuscripts and a sacrificial fire nearby.

Characters & Entities

• Ṛṣis
• Brahma-jñāna
• Sūtaja (Sūta)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It introduces an inquiry into the practical means by which ordinary humans can attain liberating knowledge.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this question-verse; it sets up the subsequent teaching within the chapter’s tīrtha-oriented discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None here; it is a request for instruction about the attainment of Brahma-jñāna.