Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । आर्सोत्पूर्वं मुनिर्नाम्ना जाबालिरिति विश्रुतः । कौमारब्रह्मचर्येण येन चीर्णं तपः सदा

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | ārsotpūrvaṃ munirnāmnā jābāliriti viśrutaḥ | kaumārabrahmacaryeṇa yena cīrṇaṃ tapaḥ sadā

Translation

Sūta dit : Jadis vivait un sage, renommé sous le nom de Jābāli, qui pratiquait sans cesse l’ascèse, observant le brahmacarya depuis l’enfance.

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta (the narrator)
• सूतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

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

• आर्षोत्पूर्वम्: preceded by (the lineage of) Ṛṣis / of rishi-origin
• आर्षोत्पूर्वम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आर्ष + उत्पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd) एकवचन; विशेषण (मुनिम् इति अव्यक्त)

• मुनिः: a sage
• मुनिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• नाम्ना: by name
• नाम्ना: Karana/Hetu (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• जाबालिः: Jābāli
• जाबालिः: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जाबालि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/इत्यर्थक अव्यय (quotative particle)

• विश्रुतः: well-known, renowned
• विश्रुतः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + श्रु (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (मुनिः)

• कौमारब्रह्मचर्येण: by celibacy from boyhood
• कौमारब्रह्मचर्येण: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौमार + ब्रह्मचर्य (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• येन: by whom/through which
• येन: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम

• चीर्णम्: practised, performed
• चीर्णम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चर् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (तपः)

• तपः: austerity, penance
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb of time)

Speaker

Sūta

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis of Naimiṣāraṇya (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta narrates the rise of the young sage Jābāli—matted hair, deer-skin, calm gaze—absorbed in brahmacarya and daily austerities, suggesting a forest-āśrama atmosphere before the tīrtha episode unfolds.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Jābāli
• Brahmacarya
• Tapas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual authority in Purāṇic narratives is grounded in lifelong discipline—brahmacarya and tapas—making the sage’s words (including curses/boons) potent.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse introduces Jābāli as part of the Citrapīṭha/Citreśvara sthala-kathā, though the place name is not repeated here.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed; the verse establishes the ascetic credentials of Jābāli for the unfolding tīrtha-legend.