Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

किं त्वया न श्रुतं तत्र स्वदेशे वसता नृप । तस्य तीर्थस्य माहात्म्यं यत्त्वमत्र समागतः

Transliteration

kiṃ tvayā na śrutaṃ tatra svadeśe vasatā nṛpa | tasya tīrthasya māhātmyaṃ yattvamatra samāgataḥ

Translation

Ô Roi, demeurant dans ton propre pays, n’avais-tu donc pas entendu la grandeur de ce tīrtha sacré, pour être venu ici à présent ?

Word by Word

• kim: what?
• kim: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम

• tvayā: by you
• tvayā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे (सामान्यतः), तृतीया-विभक्तिः (करण), एकवचनम्

• na: not
• na: Nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्ययम् (negation particle)

• śrutam: heard
• śrutam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त-भूतकृदन्तम् (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; कर्मणि प्रयोगार्थम्

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्ययम् (locative adverb)

• svadeśe: in (your) own country
• svadeśe: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva + deśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (अधिकरण), एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (स्वस्य देशः)

• vasatā: while residing
• vasatā: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vas (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त-वर्तमानकृदन्तम् (present active participle), पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (त्वया)

• nṛpa: O king
• nṛpa: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• tasya: of that
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (सम्बन्ध), एकवचनम्

• tīrthasya: of the sacred ford/place
• tīrthasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• māhātmyam: greatness, glory
• māhātmyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māhātmya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (कर्म), एकवचनम्

• yat: that (fact) that
• yat: Hetu/Prayojana (Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative)

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (कर्ता), एकवचनम्

• atra: here
• atra: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्ययम् (locative adverb)

• samāgataḥ: has come, arrived
• samāgataḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam + ā + gam (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त-भूतकृदन्तम् (past active participle), पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; कर्तरि

Speaker

Nārada (implied)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śaṅkhatīrtha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: The King (Siddhasena)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage addresses a king who has arrived at the holy place; the king’s travel-weariness contrasts with his eager, reverent attention as the sage asks why he had not heard earlier.

Characters & Entities

• King (Nṛpa)
• Śaṃkhatīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Hearing (śravaṇa) the glory of a tīrtha naturally inspires pilgrimage, showing how sacred narratives guide dharmic action.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The reference is to the māhātmya of Śaṃkhatīrtha and its presiding deity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; it highlights śravaṇa (hearing) and yātrā (arrival/pilgrimage) as the devotional flow.