Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

श्लोकस्यार्थं नावभाषे पृच्छमानापि नारद । ततो राजा धर्मवर्मा पटहेनान्वघोषयत्

Transliteration

ślokasyārthaṃ nāvabhāṣe pṛcchamānāpi nārada | tato rājā dharmavarmā paṭahenānvaghoṣayat

Translation

Ô Nārada, même interrogée, la signification de ce śloka ne fut pas expliquée. Alors le roi Dharmavarman fit publier une proclamation au battement du tambour.

Word by Word

• श्लोकस्य: of the verse
• श्लोकस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• अर्थम्: meaning
• अर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation)

• अवभाषे: spoke/explained
• अवभाषे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव + भाष् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्काल), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• पृच्छमाना: (she) asking
• पृच्छमाना: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ/शानच्), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद-प्रयोगानुसार शानच्; विशेषण (वाणी)

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि = even/also

• नारद: O Nārada
• नारद: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• ततः: then
• ततः: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनन्तरम् (then)

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• धर्मवर्मा: Dharmavarman
• धर्मवर्मा: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्मवर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (धर्मः + वर्मा/वर्मन्)

• पटहेन: by a drum
• पटहेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पटह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण (instrument)

• अन्वघोषयत्: caused to be proclaimed/announced
• अन्वघोषयत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु + घोषय् (धातु; णिजन्त)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/अनद्यतनभूत), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिजन्त (causative)

Speaker

Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa (deduced; addressing Nārada in-frame)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nārada

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A herald beats a large drum in the marketplace/court square; scroll-bearing messengers announce the king’s challenge; scholars and ascetics gather, intrigued.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Dharmavarman (king)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred knowledge is to be clarified and disseminated; when meaning is obscure, dharmic leadership seeks qualified interpretation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The episode continues in the tīrtha setting near the land–ocean confluence, though the verse highlights the king’s response.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; a public call is initiated to obtain correct explanation of the dharma-teaching.