Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

चिरंतनश्च सोऽस्माकं नूनं ज्ञास्यति तं नृपम् । तस्मादागच्छ गच्छावस्तस्य पार्श्वे हिमाचले

Transliteration

ciraṃtanaśca so'smākaṃ nūnaṃ jñāsyati taṃ nṛpam | tasmādāgaccha gacchāvastasya pārśve himācale

Translation

Il est très ancien, lié à nous depuis longtemps, et il connaîtra sûrement ce roi. Viens donc; allons vers lui, au flanc de l’Himālaya.

Word by Word

• चिरन्तनः: ancient, long-standing
• चिरन्तनः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: cirantana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (सो)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अस्माकम्: of us, our
• अस्माकम्: Sambandha (Possessor/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; षष्ठी विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• नूनम्: surely
• नूनम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nūnam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of certainty)

• ज्ञास्यति: he will know/recognize
• ज्ञास्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jñā (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तम्: that (him)
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नृपम्: king
• नृपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तस्मात्: therefore, from that
• तस्मात्: Hetu/Apadana (Reason/Source)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात् इति तद्धित-निपातवत्; अपादानार्थक अव्यय (ablatival indeclinable: ‘therefore/from that’)

• आगच्छ: come
• आगच्छ: Kriya (Command/आज्ञा)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā + gam (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative); मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• गच्छावः: let us two go
• गच्छावः: Kriya (Proposal/आज्ञा)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative/volitive); उत्तमपुरुष, द्विवचन; परस्मैपद

• तस्य: of him, his
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पार्श्वे: at the side/near
• पार्श्वे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pārśva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन

• हिमाचले: on/at Himālaya (snow-mountain)
• हिमाचले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: himācala (प्रातिपदिक; हिम + अचल)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (हिमस्य अचलः)

Speaker

Unspecified in snippet (context: the munīśvara speaking, likely Mārkaṇḍeya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Himācala (Himālaya)

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Viśāgni/Indradyumna

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The sage and the king set out together toward the Himalaya; the horizon fills with snow peaks, pine forests, and a sense of entering a higher sacred realm to meet the ancient Baka/Nāḍījaṅgha.

Characters & Entities

• Himālaya
• Indradyumna
• Baka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrthayātrā and seeking the counsel of elders/ancients are presented as valid means for dharmic clarity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Himālaya region is indicated as the sacred locale, though no specific named tirtha is cited in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the implied practice is pilgrimage/approaching a holy person.