Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 59

Devanagari script

बक उवाच सप्तद्विगुणितान्कल्पान्स्मराम्यहमसंशयम् । न स्मरामि कथामेव इंद्रद्युम्नसमुद्भवाम्

Transliteration

baka uvāca saptadviguṇitānkalpānsmarāmyahamasaṃśayam | na smarāmi kathāmeva iṃdradyumnasamudbhavām

Translation

Baka dit : «Sans aucun doute, je me souviens de quatorze kalpas. Pourtant, je ne me rappelle nullement le récit lié à l’origine du roi Indradyumna.»

Word by Word

• बकः: Baka (name)
• बकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सप्त: seven
• सप्त: Sambandha (Qualifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त (संख्याशब्द-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याविशेषण (indeclinable numeral used adjectivally)

• द्विगुणितान्: doubled
• द्विगुणितान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि (संख्या) + गुणित (गुण्/गण्?; √गुण् ‘to multiply’/गुण ‘factor’ + क्त; here adjectival ‘multiplied’)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (द्विगुणित = द्विगुणेन गुणित)

• कल्पान्: aeons, kalpas
• कल्पान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कल्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• स्मरामि: I remember
• स्मरामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• असंशयम्: without doubt
• असंशयम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अ + संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverbial accusative: without doubt)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• स्मरामि: I remember
• स्मरामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• कथाम्: story, account
• कथाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle: indeed/just)

• इन्द्रद्युम्नसमुद्भवाम्: arising from Indradyumna / about Indradyumna’s origin
• इन्द्रद्युम्नसमुद्भवाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इन्द्रद्युम्न (प्रातिपदिक) + समुद्भव (प्रातिपदिक; सम्-उद्-भू)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (इन्द्रद्युम्नात् समुद्भवा)

Speaker

Baka

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ghṛtakambala

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Indradyumna (and companions)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Baka, an ancient being, speaks with calm authority, evoking fourteen kalpas, yet admits ignorance of Indradyumna’s origin-story; listeners appear astonished.

Characters & Entities

• Baka
• Indradyumna
• Kalpa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even vast memory across ages is limited; Purāṇic wisdom emphasizes humility and reliance on dharma and tīrtha-mahātmya rather than pride in longevity or knowledge.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narrative stream that later points to the Jāgeśvara/Śiva context and associated local tīrtha-glory.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed in this verse; it introduces the dialogue that will explain merit and causation.