Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

अद्यापि तिष्ठते तत्र विरुद्धं रूपमाश्रिता । जनहास्य करं नित्यं तस्मात्सूत वदस्व नः

Transliteration

adyāpi tiṣṭhate tatra viruddhaṃ rūpamāśritā | janahāsya karaṃ nityaṃ tasmātsūta vadasva naḥ

Translation

Aujourd’hui encore, elle demeure en ce lieu, ayant pris une forme dissonante, toujours objet de la risée des gens. C’est pourquoi, ô Sūta, dis-nous la raison.

Word by Word

• अद्यापि: even today/still
• अद्यापि: Kriya-visheshana (Temporal/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य + अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक + निपात (even today/still)

• तिष्ठते: stands/remains
• तिष्ठते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक

• विरुद्धम्: contrary/odd
• विरुद्धम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विरुद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (रूपम्)

• रूपम्: form/appearance
• रूपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• आश्रिता: having assumed
• आश्रिता: Karta (Subject complement/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + श्रि (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तृवाच्ये ‘she who has assumed’

• जनहास्य: of people’s laughter
• जनहास्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन + हास्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (जनस्य हास्यम् = people’s laughter)

• करम्: causing/producing
• करम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (रूपम्/अवस्था implied)

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kriya-visheshana (Temporal/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्यम् (अव्यय/नित्य-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (always)

• तस्मात्: therefore/from that
• तस्मात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (therefore)

• सूत: O Sūta
• सूत: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• वदस्व: tell/speak
• वदस्व: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• नः: to us
• नः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-रूप (Genitive/Dative), बहुवचन; अस्माकम्/अस्मभ्यम् अर्थे (to us/of us)

Speaker

Ṛṣis (sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sūta

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The maiden remains at the shrine in an odd/discordant form; some people laugh while a few devotees show compassion; sages urge Sūta to explain; the contrast between mockery and reverence is central.

Characters & Entities

• Ṛṣis
• Sūta
• Kumārī
• Citrapīṭha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Outer oddity invites deeper explanation; Purāṇic tīrtha-stories interpret visible phenomena as moral and karmic teachings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Citrapīṭha, where the narrative claims these forms are still present.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse requests the narrative cause behind the site’s legend.