Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

ततः प्रोवाच मधुरं विनयावनतः स्थितः । निःस्पृहस्यापि विप्रेंद्र कि वाऽगमनकारणम्

Transliteration

tataḥ provāca madhuraṃ vinayāvanataḥ sthitaḥ | niḥspṛhasyāpi vipreṃdra ki vā'gamanakāraṇam

Translation

Entonces, inclinado con humildad, habló dulcemente: «Oh, el mejor de los brāhmaṇas, aunque estés libre de deseo, ¿cuál es en verdad la causa de tu venida?»

Word by Word

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time adjunct/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपादान/क्रमवाचक (from then/thereafter)

• प्रोवाच: said
• प्रोवाच: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मधुरम्: sweetly
• मधुरम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Manner adjunct/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मधुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (accusative of manner: sweetly)

• विनयावनतः: bowed with humility
• विनयावनतः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विनय (प्रातिपदिक) + अवनत (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः (विनयेन अवनतः)

• स्थितः: standing
• स्थितः: Karta (Subject predicate/कर्तृवाचक)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘standing/remaining’

• निःस्पृहस्य: of the desireless one
• निःस्पृहस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निःस्पृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन (Genitive singular)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha-sūcaka (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण/समुच्चयार्थ (particle: even/also)

• विप्रेन्द्र: O best of Brahmins
• विप्रेन्द्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक) + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (विप्राणाम् इन्द्रः)

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Predicate object/प्रश्नकर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक (interrogative)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha-sūcaka (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक (disjunctive particle: or/indeed)

• आगमनकारणम्: the reason for (your) coming
• आगमनकारणम्: Karma (Predicate nominal/प्रश्नविषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आगमन (प्रातिपदिक) + कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (आगमनस्य कारणम्)

Speaker

Rohitāśva (addressing Mārkaṇḍeya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sarayū-saṅgama (contextual)

Type: sangam

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A householder/king stands with folded hands, slightly bowed, speaking softly to a radiant sage; attendants remain quiet; the river-tīrtha atmosphere is suggested in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Rohitāśva
• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Brāhmaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A ruler should inquire respectfully into dharma; even casual meetings with the desireless are treated as meaningful and providential.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ayodhyā remains the narrative locus, soon linked with Sarayū tīrtha observances and śrāddha-related instruction.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual instruction appears; it initiates the inquiry that will lead to prescriptions about śrāddha and offerings.