Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

अत्र कौतूहलं जातमश्रद्धेयं वचस्तथा । श्रुत्वा श्रद्धेयवाक्यस्य तस्मात्सत्यं प्रकीर्तय

Transliteration

atra kautūhalaṃ jātamaśraddheyaṃ vacastathā | śrutvā śraddheyavākyasya tasmātsatyaṃ prakīrtaya

Translation

Ici s’est éveillée une grande curiosité, et tes paroles semblent elles aussi difficiles à croire. C’est pourquoi, après avoir entendu la parole de celui dont le verbe est digne de foi, proclame clairement la vérité.

Word by Word

• atra: here/in this matter
• atra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण/adverb of place)

• kautūhalam: curiosity/wonder
• kautūhalam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kautūhala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• jātam: has arisen
• jātam: Kriya (Predicate participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jan (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, भूतकर्मणि/PPP); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘arisen’

• aśraddheyam: unbelievable
• aśraddheyam: Karta (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-śraddheya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘vacas’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• vacaḥ: speech/statement
• vacaḥ: Karta (Co-subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vacas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• tathā: also/likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/‘also/and so’)

• śrutvā: having heard
• śrutvā: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु) + ktvā (क्त्वा)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय, पूर्वकाल; gerund)

• śraddheya-vākyasya: of the credible statement
• śraddheya-vākyasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śraddheya (प्रातिपदिक) + vākya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (श्रद्धेयं वाक्यम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• tasmāt: therefore
• tasmāt: Hetu (Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त; ablatival adverb ‘therefore/from that’)

• satyam: the truth
• satyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: satya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• prakīrtaya: proclaim/tell
• prakīrtaya: Kriya (Command/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-kīrt (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

Speaker

An unnamed listener (likely a sage/interlocutor)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Trustworthy brāhmaṇa narrator (āpta)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The questioner admits curiosity and disbelief, then requests the trustworthy speaker to declare the truth plainly; a moment of earnest seriousness replaces earlier wonder.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Doubt can be resolved through satya (truthful clarification) spoken by an āpta (trustworthy authority).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is named; the verse focuses on epistemic trust within Mahātmya narration.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a request for truthful explanation.