Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

ततः प्रोवाच तान्सर्वान्संप्रहृष्टतनूरुहा । यदर्थं विबुधश्रेष्ठाः सृष्टा तद्ब्रूत मा चिरम्

Transliteration

tataḥ provāca tānsarvānsaṃprahṛṣṭatanūruhā | yadarthaṃ vibudhaśreṣṭhāḥ sṛṣṭā tadbrūta mā ciram

Translation

Alors elle s’adressa à tous, le corps frémissant et les poils hérissés de joie : « Ô les meilleurs parmi les célestes, dites-moi sans tarder le dessein pour lequel j’ai été manifestée. »

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रमवाचक (then)

• प्रोवाच: said/spoke
• प्रोवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परिपूर्णभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तान्: them
• तान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम (them)

• सर्वान्: all
• सर्वान्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (तान्)

• संप्रहृष्टतनूरुहा: she whose body-hairs bristled with joy
• संप्रहृष्टतनूरुहा: Visheshana (Subject-qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + प्रहृष्ट (कृदन्त; हृष् (धातु) + क्त) + तनूरुह (प्रातिपदिक); संप्रहृष्टतनूरुह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि (यस्या तनूरुहाः संप्रहृष्टाः सा)

• यत्: what/that which
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (that which/what)

• अर्थम्: purpose
• अर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थ (purpose)

• विबुधश्रेष्ठाः: best of the gods
• विबुधश्रेष्ठाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विबुध + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक); विबुधश्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय (विबुधाः एव श्रेष्ठाः)

• सृष्टाः: created
• सृष्टाः: Karta (Logical subject of passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सृज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (created)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम (that)

• ब्रूत: tell (you all)
• ब्रूत: Kriya (Command/आज्ञा)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (आज्ञार्थ/Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• मा: do not
• मा: Sambandha (Prohibition/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (prohibitive particle: do not)

• चिरम्: for long / long time
• चिरम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण नपुंसक-द्वितीया एकवचन (adverbial accusative: long)

Speaker

Kātyāyanī (Devī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvija-uttama

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devī, thrilled with joy (romāñca), turns to the assembled devas and speaks with bright, commanding compassion, asking the reason for her creation; devas stand reverently, hands folded or holding offerings.

Characters & Entities

• Kātyāyanī (Devī)
• Devas (Vibudhas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine power manifests with intentionality: the Goddess asks the devas to state the dharmic mission clearly and promptly.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The chapter’s flow is toward the Vindhya region; this verse is part of the lead-in to that sacred setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a dialogue verse establishing the divine mission.