Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

। ऋषय ऊचुः । अन्यानि तत्र तीर्थानि यानि संति महामते । तानि कीर्तय सर्वाणि परं कौतूहलं हि नः

Transliteration

| ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | anyāni tatra tīrthāni yāni saṃti mahāmate | tāni kīrtaya sarvāṇi paraṃ kautūhalaṃ hi naḥ

Translation

Les sages dirent : «Ô grand d’esprit, quels autres tīrtha, lieux sacrés de bain, se trouvent en cette région ? Raconte-les tous, car notre curiosité est vive.»

Word by Word

• ऋषयः: the sages
• ऋषयः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), परस्मैपद

• अन्यानि: other
• अन्यानि: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषण

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• तीर्थानि: sacred fords/pilgrimage places
• तीर्थानि: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), बहुवचन (Plural)

• यानि: which
• यानि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), बहुवचन (Plural); सम्बन्धसूचक-सर्वनाम

• सन्ति: are
• सन्ति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), परस्मैपद

• महामते: O great-minded one
• महामते: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महामति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—बहुव्रीहि (महती मतिः यस्य)

• तानि: those
• तानि: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• कीर्तय: describe/proclaim
• कीर्तय: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कीर्तय् (नामधातु; कीर्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + णिच्)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• सर्वाणि: all
• सर्वाणि: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषण

• परम्: great/supreme
• परम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण

• कौतूहलम्: curiosity
• कौतूहलम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौतूहल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतौ/निश्चये-अव्यय (particle: indeed/for)

• नः: of us/our
• नः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural); अस्मद्-प्रत्यय (enclitic)

Speaker

Ṛṣayaḥ (the sages)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sūta (the narrator addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A council of sages in an āśrama, leaning forward in curiosity, addressing the narrator with palms joined, requesting a full account of the region’s tīrthas.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta (implied interlocutor)
• Puṣkara (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverent inquiry into sacred geography is presented as a dharmic impulse that leads to knowledge of meritorious practices.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The question concerns additional tīrthas “there,” i.e., in the Puṣkara region being praised in this Tīrthamāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it is a request to enumerate tīrthas and their praises.