Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

। ऋषय ऊचुः । महाकालस्य माहात्म्यं विस्तरेण महामते । अस्माकं सूतज ब्रूहि सर्वं वेत्ति यतो भवान्

Transliteration

| ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | mahākālasya māhātmyaṃ vistareṇa mahāmate | asmākaṃ sūtaja brūhi sarvaṃ vetti yato bhavān

Translation

Les sages dirent : «Ô esprit magnanime, expose en détail la grandeur de Mahākāla. Ô fils de Sūta, explique-nous tout, car tu connais toutes choses.»

Word by Word

• ऋषयः: sages
• ऋषयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• महाकालस्य: of Mahākāla
• महाकालस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाकाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• माहात्म्यम्: greatness/glory
• माहात्म्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• विस्तरेण: in detail
• विस्तरेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विस्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणार्थे (adverbial instrumental)

• महामते: O great-minded one
• महामते: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महामति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• अस्माकम्: of us/our
• अस्माकम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, बहुवचन; (common gender)

• सूतज: O son of Sūta
• सूतज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक) + ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सूतस्य जः)

• ब्रूहि: tell
• ब्रूहि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• सर्वम्: everything
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मरूपे (object)

• वेत्ति: knows
• वेत्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• यतः: since/because
• यतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कारणार्थक-सम्बन्धबोधक (conjunction) ‘because/since’

• भवान्: you (hon.)
• भवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; आदरार्थ-प्रोनाउन (honorific ‘you’)

Speaker

Ṛṣayaḥ (the sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahākāla (Mahākāla-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sūta (Sūtaja)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A forest hermitage assembly: sages seated in a semicircle, hands folded, addressing Sūta (son of Sūta) who sits on a low seat with a manuscript; in the background, a distant silhouette of a Śiva-liṅga shrine hints at Mahākāla.

Characters & Entities

• Mahākāla
• Sūta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True understanding of a tīrtha’s power begins with humble inquiry and listening to an authorized narrator of Purāṇic tradition.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Mahākāla’s sacred sphere (Mahākāla-tīrtha/kshetra) is introduced as the subject of praise in this chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed here; it establishes the request to hear Mahākāla’s māhātmya in detail.