Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 89

Devanagari script

उवाच च निजां वार्तां कृतांजलिपुटः स्थितः । स पृष्टस्तापसैः सर्वैः सुविस्मयसमन्वितैः

Transliteration

uvāca ca nijāṃ vārtāṃ kṛtāṃjalipuṭaḥ sthitaḥ | sa pṛṣṭastāpasaiḥ sarvaiḥ suvismayasamanvitaiḥ

Translation

Et, debout les mains jointes en signe de vénération, il raconta son histoire, interrogé par tous les ascètes, saisis d’un grand étonnement.

Word by Word

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

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक) — and

• निजाम्: his own
• निजाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — accusative singular

• वार्ताम्: account/news
• वार्ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वार्ता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — accusative singular

• कृत-अञ्जलि-पुटः: with joined hands
• कृत-अञ्जलि-पुटः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (कृदन्त; √कृ (धातु) + क्त) + अञ्जलि (प्रातिपदिक) + पुट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — बहुपद-तत्पुरुष: 'कृतः अञ्जलिपुटः येन' (hands joined as a hollow/palm-cup) used adjectivally

• स्थितः: standing
• स्थितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्थित (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √स्था (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — PPP used predicatively: standing

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — pronoun

• पृष्टः: (being) asked
• पृष्टः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पृष्ट (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √पृच्छ् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — PPP: asked/questioned

• तापसैः: by ascetics
• तापसैः: Kartr (Agent in passive/कर्तृ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तापस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन — instrumental plural

• सर्वैः: by all
• सर्वैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन — instrumental plural

• सुविस्मय-समन्वितैः: filled with great wonder
• सुविस्मय-समन्वितैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु- + विस्मय (प्रातिपदिक) + समन्वित (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; सम्-अनु-√इ (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन — तत्पुरुष: 'सुविस्मयेन समन्वित' (endowed with great astonishment)

Speaker

Narrator introducing the king’s speech (king speaks next)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king stands before seated ascetics, hands folded; the sages lean forward with widened eyes and attentive faces, indicating astonishment as he begins recounting his ordeal.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Truthful narration offered with humility before the wise is itself a dharmic act that opens the way for teaching.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting remains the Tīrthamāhātmya region and the sages’ hermitage; no specific tīrtha name appears in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal rite; it models respectful posture (añjali) and proper speech before ascetics.