Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । तस्य तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा ततः प्रोवाच पद्मजः । विहस्य सर्वदेवानां समाजे द्विजसत्तमाः

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | tasya tadvacanaṃ śrutvā tataḥ provāca padmajaḥ | vihasya sarvadevānāṃ samāje dvijasattamāḥ

Translation

Sūta dit : Ayant entendu ses paroles, Padmaja (Brahmā) répondit alors en souriant, au sein de l’assemblée de tous les dieux, ô meilleur des deux-fois-nés.

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta
• सूतः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचन; प्रथमा (Nominative, Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Speech act/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Of him/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; एकवचन; षष्ठी (Genitive, Singular)

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

• वचनम्: speech/words
• वचनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; एकवचन; द्वितीया (Accusative, Singular)

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive)

• ततः: then
• ततः: None (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रम/कारणवाचक (then/thereupon)

• प्रोवाच: spoke
• प्रोवाच: Kriya (Speech act/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र- वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पद्मजः: Padmaja (Brahmā)
• पद्मजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद्म-ज (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचन; प्रथमा (Nominative, Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पद्मात् जातः)

• विहस्य: having smiled/laughed
• विहस्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-हस् (धातु) + ल्यप् (क्त्वा-समकक्ष)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund: 'having laughed/smiled')

• सर्वदेवानाम्: of all the gods
• सर्वदेवानाम्: Sambandha (Of all gods/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व-देव (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; बहुवचन; षष्ठी (Genitive, Plural); कर्मधारयः (सर्वे देवाः)

• समाजे: in the assembly
• समाजे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समाज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचन; सप्तमी (Locative, Singular)

• द्विजसत्तमाः: the best of the twice-born (brāhmaṇas)
• द्विजसत्तमाः: Karta (Appositive/कर्ता-समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज-सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; बहुवचन; प्रथमा (Nominative, Plural); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (द्विजानां सत्तमाः)

Speaker

Sūta

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvaija-sattamāḥ (Śaunaka-led sages)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta as narrator frames the moment: Brahmā (Padmaja) smiles and begins to speak in the midst of a glittering congregation of devas and ṛṣis; the king stands attentive.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Brahmā (Padmaja)
• Sarva-devāḥ (all gods)
• Dvija-sattama (addressed sages)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is clarified through sacred dialogue: questions asked with humility receive authoritative guidance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This is the narrative frame within Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya; the tīrtha name is not specified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it introduces Brahmā’s forthcoming instruction.