Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । आसीत्पुरा ऋचीकाख्यो भृगुपुत्रो महामुनिः । व्रताध्ययनसंपन्नः सुतपस्वी महायशाः

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | āsītpurā ṛcīkākhyo bhṛguputro mahāmuniḥ | vratādhyayanasaṃpannaḥ sutapasvī mahāyaśāḥ

Translation

Sūta dit : Jadis vivait le grand sage nommé Ṛcīka, fils de Bhṛgu, accompli dans les vœux et l’étude sacrée, riche en austérités et d’une grande renommée.

Word by Word

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

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

• आसीत्: there was
• आसीत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालाव्यय (adverb of time)

• ऋचीकाख्यः: named Ṛcīka
• ऋचीकाख्यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋचीक + आख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (ऋचीक इति आख्यः/नाम यस्य)

• भृगुपुत्रः: son of Bhṛgu
• भृगुपुत्रः: Apposition (समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भृगु + पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (भृगोः पुत्रः)

• महामुनिः: great sage
• महामुनिः: Apposition (समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महामुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (महान् मुनिः)

• व्रताध्ययनसंपन्नः: endowed with vows and study
• व्रताध्ययनसंपन्नः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्रत + अध्ययन + सम्पन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (व्रतं च अध्ययनं च ताभ्यां सम्पन्नः)

• सुतपस्वी: very austere
• सुतपस्वी: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + तपस्विन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (सु-तपस्वी)

• महायशाः: of great fame
• महायशाः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महायशस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; यशस्-शब्दः (अकारान्त-विशेष), समासः—कर्मधारय (महत् यशः यस्य)

Speaker

Sūta

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣayaḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta narrates the emergence of Ṛcīka: a radiant ascetic with matted hair, holding a kamaṇḍalu and manuscript, surrounded by signs of austerity—fire altar, deer-skin, and quiet forest.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Ṛcīka
• Bhṛgu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha-māhātmya is grounded in the lives of disciplined sages—vows, study, and austerity make one fit to receive and reveal sacred merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The site is introduced through the sage’s story; the next verses connect Ṛcīka to Bhojakaṭa and the Kauśikī river.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied ideals: vrata (vows) and adhyayana (scriptural study), though no specific rite is detailed here.