Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ऋषय ऊचुः । यदेतद्भवता प्रोक्तमीशानस्य महीपतेः । ईश्वरेण पुरा दत्तमायुर्यावत्स्ववासरम्

Transliteration

ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | yadetadbhavatā proktamīśānasya mahīpateḥ | īśvareṇa purā dattamāyuryāvatsvavāsaram

Translation

Los sabios dijeron: «Lo que has expuesto acerca de Īśāna —el soberano señor—, es decir, la duración de vida que antaño le concedió Īśvara hasta la medida de su propio “día”… cuéntanos más».

Word by Word

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

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural)

• यत्: which/that
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• भवता: by you
• भवता: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रोक्तम्: told/declared
• प्रोक्तम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगे ‘said/told’

• ईशानस्य: of Īśāna (Śiva)
• ईशानस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईशान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• महीपतेः: of the king (lord of earth)
• महीपतेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महीपति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• ईश्वरेण: by the Lord
• ईश्वरेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• पुरा: formerly/once
• पुरा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• दत्तम्: given
• दत्तम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; ‘given’

• आयुः: lifespan
• आयुः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• यावत्: as long as / up to
• यावत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय/परिमाणवाचक)
• Form: परिमाण/अवधि-वाचक-अव्यय (limit/extent marker)

• स्ववासरम्: one’s own day (a full day)
• स्ववासरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + वासर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—कर्मधारयः (‘स्वः’ इति विशेषणं ‘वासरम्’ इति विशेष्यं)

Speaker

Ṛṣis (Sages)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sūta (to respond)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Forest āśrama: seated sages in a semicircle question the narrator; a palm-leaf manuscript and water-pot nearby; the atmosphere is contemplative, hinting at vast cosmic cycles beyond the hermitage.

Characters & Entities

• Īśāna
• Īśvara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred texts frame time as divine and hierarchical; understanding ‘the Lord’s day’ elevates the listener from ordinary time to cosmic perspective.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse shifts into doctrinal explanation (kāla-māna) within the Tīrthamāhātmya; the site-context belongs to Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s ongoing pilgrimage narration rather than a single named tirtha in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it initiates a question that leads into teaching about time-measures relevant to vrata timing and auspicious observance.