Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ऋषय ऊचुः । यत्त्वया कथितं सूत न मृता सा कुमारिका । हता रौद्रप्रहारैश्च कौतुकं तन्महत्तरम्

Transliteration

ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | yattvayā kathitaṃ sūta na mṛtā sā kumārikā | hatā raudraprahāraiśca kautukaṃ tanmahattaram

Translation

Les sages dirent : «Ô Sūta, d’après ce que tu as raconté, cette jeune fille n’est pas réellement morte, bien qu’elle ait été terrassée par des coups farouches. Voilà un prodige plus grand encore : explique-le.»

Word by Word

• ऋषयः: the sages
• ऋषयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

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

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (by you)

• कथितम्: told
• कथितम्: Kriya (Verbal predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कथ् (धातु) + क्त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृतान्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, भूतकर्मणि), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘said/told’

• सूत: O Sūta
• सूत: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निषेधार्थक-निपात (negation)

• मृता: dead
• मृता: Vidheyavisheshana (Predicate adjective/विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृ (धातु) + क्त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृतान्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘dead’

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• कुमारिका: maiden
• कुमारिका: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुमारिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• हता: struck; slain
• हता: Vidheyavisheshana (Predicate adjective/विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हन् (धातु) + क्त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृतान्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘struck/killed’

• रौद्रप्रहारैः: by fierce blows
• रौद्रप्रहारैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रौद्र + प्रहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; करण (by fierce blows)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयार्थक-निपात

• कौतुकम्: wonder; curiosity
• कौतुकम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौतुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (that)

• महत्तरम्: greater
• महत्तरम्: Vidheyavisheshana (Predicate adjective/विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तुलनात्मक (comparative)

Speaker

Ṛṣis

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Amareśvara episode (continuation)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sūta

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A circle of sages, brows raised in astonishment, question Sūta about the maiden who was struck by fierce blows yet did not truly die; the atmosphere is tense with wonder and compassion.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Kumārikā (maiden)
• Ṛṣis

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic tīrtha narratives often reveal hidden divine causality behind seemingly ordinary events.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The ongoing Nāgara Khaṇḍa tīrtha account connected with the maiden’s extraordinary fate.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; this verse introduces inquiry (praśna) that prompts the māhātmya explanation.