Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

अथ क्वाऽपि कथांते स पार्थिवस्तैर्महर्षिभिः । पृष्टः कौतूहलाविष्टैर्दत्त्वा श्रौतीस्तदाशिषः

Transliteration

atha kvā'pi kathāṃte sa pārthivastairmaharṣibhiḥ | pṛṣṭaḥ kautūhalāviṣṭairdattvā śrautīstadāśiṣaḥ

Translation

Puis, à un moment donné, lorsque l’entretien prit fin, le roi—après leur avoir donné des bénédictions selon l’usage védique—fut interrogé par ces grands rishis, tout empreints de curiosité.

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भसूचक (then/now)

• क्व: somewhere
• क्व: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्व (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्न/अनिश्चित-देशवाचक (somewhere/where)

• अपि: also, even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/समुच्चयार्थ (also/even)

• कथान्ते: at the end of the story/discourse
• कथान्ते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथा-अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th); एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-प्रायः (कथायाः अन्ते)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• पार्थिवः: the king
• पार्थिवः: Karta (Subject apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• तैः: by them
• तैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd); बहुवचन

• महर्षिभिः: by the great sages
• महर्षिभिः: Karana (Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महर्षि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति; बहुवचन

• पृष्टः: was asked
• पृष्टः: Karma (Patient in passive/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रच्छ् (धातु) + क्त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (Past passive participle/क्त); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; धातुः—प्रच्छ् (प्रश्ने)

• कौतूहलाविष्टैः: filled with curiosity
• कौतूहलाविष्टैः: Visheshana (Qualifier of महर्षिभिः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कौतूहल (प्रातिपदिक) + आविष्ट (प्रातिपदिक/क्तान्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति; बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (कौतूहलेन आविष्टाः = possessed by curiosity)

• दत्त्वा: having given
• दत्त्वा: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दा (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/absolutive); धातुः—दा (दाने)

• श्रौतीः: Vedic (śrauta) [things/rites/utterances]
• श्रौतीः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रौती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; बहुवचन

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (then/at that time)

• आशिषः: blessings
• आशिषः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आशिष् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; बहुवचन (आशिषः = आशीः-शब्दस्य बहुवचन-रूपम्)

Speaker

Sūta (narration context; speaker not explicit in this verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king rises slightly or folds hands, offering śrauta blessings to seated sages; the sages lean forward with attentive curiosity, initiating a formal question.

Characters & Entities

• pārthiva (king)
• maharṣi
• śrauta (Vedic)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma advances through respectful dialogue—blessings, inquiry, and truthful explanation—especially in the company of sages.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The chapter’s kṣetra is the setting; the verse emphasizes the sacred setting as a forum for śāstric inquiry.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offering śrautī āśiṣaḥ (Vedic-style blessings) is mentioned, indicating formal sacred etiquette.