Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

भगवञ्छ्रोतुमिच्छामि प्रमाणं युगसंभवम् । माहात्म्यं च स्वरूपं च यथावद्वक्तुमर्हसि

Transliteration

bhagavañchrotumicchāmi pramāṇaṃ yugasaṃbhavam | māhātmyaṃ ca svarūpaṃ ca yathāvadvaktumarhasi

Translation

Ô vénérable, je souhaite entendre la mesure et l’origine du yuga—sa grandeur et sa nature véritable. Daigne l’exposer avec justesse, comme il convient de le dire.

Word by Word

• भगवन्: O venerable one
• भगवन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन — Vocative singular

• श्रोतुम्: to hear
• श्रोतुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु) → श्रोतुम् (तुमुन्)
• Form: कृदन्त (तुमुन्-प्रत्यय), अव्ययवत् — Infinitive ‘to hear’

• इच्छामि: I desire
• इच्छामि: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष्/इच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (परस्मैपद), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन — Present, 1st person singular

• प्रमाणम्: the measure/extent, authority
• प्रमाणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रमाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन — Accusative singular

• युगसंभवम्: arising in (this) age/yuga
• युगसंभवम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युग (प्रातिपदिक) + सम्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन — Accusative singular; विशेषण of ‘प्रमाणम्’

• माहात्म्यम्: the greatness, sacred glory
• माहात्म्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन — Accusative singular

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय) — conjunction

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

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय) — conjunction

• यथावत्: properly, correctly
• यथावत्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) — adverb ‘properly, as it is’

• वक्तुम्: to tell
• वक्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) → वक्तुम् (तुमुन्)
• Form: कृदन्त (तुमुन्-प्रत्यय), अव्ययवत् — Infinitive ‘to speak/tell’

• अर्हसि: you are able/ought
• अर्हसि: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्ह् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (परस्मैपद), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन — Present, 2nd person singular

Speaker

Indra (Tridaśeśvara)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Audience (implicit)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra requests a precise exposition of yuga origin, measure, greatness, and true nature; Bṛhaspati poised to teach, with manuscripts and a calm instructive gaze.

Characters & Entities

• Indra
• Bṛhaspati

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

One should seek authoritative teaching on cosmic time (yuga) and dharma from a qualified guru.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is specified in this verse; it requests a doctrinal explanation within a tīrtha-māhātmya context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is a request for correct exposition (yathāvat-vacana).