Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । तथान्येऽपि वसन्तीह रुद्रा एकादशैव तु । सञ्जाता ब्राह्मणश्रेष्ठा मुनीनां हितकाम्यया

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | tathānye'pi vasantīha rudrā ekādaśaiva tu | sañjātā brāhmaṇaśreṣṭhā munīnāṃ hitakāmyayā

Translation

Dijo Sūta: Aquí también moran otros Rudras—en verdad once en número—que se han manifestado, oh el mejor de los brāhmaṇas, por el deseo de procurar el bienestar de los sabios ṛṣi.

Word by Word

• sūtaḥ: Sūta
• sūtaḥ: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन

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

• tathā: thus; likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• anye: others
• anye: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; बहुवचन

• api: also; even
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• vasanti: dwell; reside
• vasanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vas (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present); प्रथमपुरुष; बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• iha: here
• iha: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (adverb of place)

• rudrāḥ: Rudras
• rudrāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rudra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; बहुवचन

• ekādaśa: eleven
• ekādaśa: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ekādaśan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्दः; प्रथमा विभक्ति; बहुवचनार्थे (qualifying rudrāḥ)

• eva: indeed; only
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• tu: but; and
• tu: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/अन्वय (conjunctive particle)

• sañjātāḥ: born; arisen
• sañjātāḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam-jan (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन; विशेषण (to rudrāḥ)

• brāhmaṇaśreṣṭhāḥ: O best of Brāhmaṇas
• brāhmaṇaśreṣṭhāḥ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa-śreṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक; ब्राह्मण + श्रेष्ठ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; बहुवचन; संबोधनार्थे अपि (addressing the sages)

• munīnām: of the sages
• munīnām: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्ति (Genitive/6th); बहुवचन

• hitakāmyayā: with the desire for (their) welfare
• hitakāmyayā: Karana/Hetu (Cause/करण-हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hita-kāmya (प्रातिपदिक; हित + काम्य)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd); एकवचन; हेतु/निमित्त (cause)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (implied by continuity)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas/sages (Śaunaka-led assembly)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta narrates to assembled sages: the sacred region is shown with eleven Rudra forms subtly present—some as ascetic Śiva, some fierce guardians—surrounding hermitages, indicating protection and blessing.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Rudras
• Munis

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places are portrayed as living abodes of Rudra-power, established for the spiritual protection and welfare of seekers.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse continues the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya sacred-region framework (immediately following the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra narrative unit).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; it identifies the presence of eleven Rudras as a basis for later worship/benefit statements.