Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

अत्रांतरे महाविद्वान्व्यासशिष्यो महामुनिः । आगमन्नैमिषारण्यं सूतः पौराणिकोत्तमः

Transliteration

atrāṃtare mahāvidvānvyāsaśiṣyo mahāmuniḥ | āgamannaimiṣāraṇyaṃ sūtaḥ paurāṇikottamaḥ

Translation

Cependant, le grand sage Sūta—très savant, disciple de Vyāsa et le plus éminent des narrateurs purāṇiques—arriva à Naimiṣāraṇya.

Word by Word

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

• अन्तरे: in the meantime, in between
• अन्तरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, locative singular; ‘in the interval/meanwhile’

• महाविद्वान्: a very learned man
• महाविद्वान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाविद्वस् (प्रातिपदिक: महा + विद्वस्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, nominative singular

• व्यासशिष्यः: Vyāsa’s disciple
• व्यासशिष्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यास (प्रातिपदिक) + शिष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, nominative singular; ‘disciple of Vyāsa’

• महामुनिः: the great sage
• महामुनिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महामुनि (प्रातिपदिक: महा + मुनि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, nominative singular

• आगमत्: came, arrived
• आगमत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + गम् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (अनद्यतनभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — Imperfect, 3rd singular

• नैमिषारण्यं: to Naimiṣa forest
• नैमिषारण्यं: Karma (Goal/Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नैमिष (प्रातिपदिक) + अरण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, accusative singular; destination

• सूतः: Sūta
• सूतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, nominative singular

• पौराणिकोत्तमः: the foremost Purāṇa narrator
• पौराणिकोत्तमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पौराणिक (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, nominative singular; ‘best among purāṇa-knowers’

Speaker

Narrator

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Naimiṣāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta enters the forest-ashram precinct carrying a staff and manuscript bundle; sages turn toward him as a focal point, the path framed by trees and a distant yajña-smoke column.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Vyāsa
• Naimiṣāraṇya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic wisdom is transmitted through authoritative narrators rooted in Vyāsa’s lineage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Naimiṣāraṇya is the narrative setting; Setu is the forthcoming tīrtha-māhātmya topic.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it introduces the qualified speaker (Sūta) for the ensuing narration.