Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 61

Devanagari script

एतत्ते सर्वमाख्यातं यत्पृष्टोऽस्मि द्विजोत्तम । विस्तरेण तव प्रीत्या स्वरूपं नरकोद्भवम्

Transliteration

etatte sarvamākhyātaṃ yatpṛṣṭo'smi dvijottama | vistareṇa tava prītyā svarūpaṃ narakodbhavam

Translation

Ô meilleur des deux-fois-nés, je t’ai exposé tout ce que tu m’as demandé ; par affection pour toi, j’ai décrit en détail la nature de ces tourments nés de l’enfer.

Word by Word

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन — “this” (here: object with ‘आख्यातम्’)

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन — Dative “to you”

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — “all/entire” qualifying ‘एतत्’

• आख्यातम्: has been explained
• आख्यातम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√ख्या (धातु) → आख्यात (कृदन्त/क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगः — “has been told/explained”

• यत्: that which
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — “which/that which” (object of ‘पृष्टः’)

• पृष्टः: (I) was asked
• पृष्टः: Kriya (Predicate complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √पृच्छ् (धातु) → पृष्ट (कृदन्त/क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — “asked” (predicate with ‘अस्मि’)

• अस्मि: I am
• अस्मि: Kriya (Copula/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद; उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन — “I am”

• द्विजोत्तम: O best of the twice-born
• द्विजोत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः/कर्मधारयार्थः — “best among the twice-born”

• विस्तरेण: in detail
• विस्तरेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विस्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन — Instrumental used adverbially “in detail”

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन — Genitive “of you/your”

• प्रीत्या: out of affection
• प्रीत्या: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रीति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन — Instrumental “out of affection/for pleasing”

• स्वरूपम्: the nature/form
• स्वरूपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वरूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — Accusative singular

• नरकोद्भवम्: arising from hell
• नरकोद्भवम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक) + उद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; पञ्चमी-तत्पुरुषः (नरकात् उद्भवः) — “arising from hell”, qualifying ‘स्वरूपम्’

Speaker

Yama

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvijottama (brāhmaṇa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage-like speaker addresses a brāhmaṇa listener, palm-leaf manuscript nearby; behind them, faint symbolic vignettes of hell-torments dissolve as the teaching concludes.

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Brāhmaṇa (listener)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Scriptural teaching is transmitted compassionately to guide beings away from suffering and toward dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific location is named in this verse; it concludes a segment of instruction.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it functions as a narrative transition/closure.