Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

हस्तिनापुरसंस्थेन विदुरेण पुरा द्विजाः । गालवो मुनिशार्दूलः पृष्टः स्वगृहमागतः

Transliteration

hastināpurasaṃsthena vidureṇa purā dvijāḥ | gālavo muniśārdūlaḥ pṛṣṭaḥ svagṛhamāgataḥ

Translation

Ô brāhmaṇas, jadis Vidura, demeurant à Hastināpura, interrogea Gālava—tigre parmi les sages—lorsqu’il vint dans sa propre demeure.

Word by Word

• हस्तिनापुर: (in) Hastināpura
• हस्तिनापुर: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हस्तिनापुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष-आधार (स्थानवाचक), एकवचन; समासपूर्वपद (हस्तिनापुर-सम्बन्ध)

• संस्थेन: residing/established
• संस्थेन: Instrument/Association (करण/सहकार)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संस्था/संस्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; विशेषण—विदुरेण सह (संस्थ = स्थित/निवसित)

• विदुरेण: by Vidura
• विदुरेण: Agent (Karta/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विदुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• पुरा: formerly/once
• पुरा: Temporal (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• द्विजाः: O twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विजाः: Sambodhana/Addressed (सम्बोधनार्थ—हे)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• गालवः: Gālava
• गालवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गालव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• मुनिशार्दूलः: tiger among sages
• मुनिशार्दूलः: Apposition (विशेष्य-विशेषणभाव/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक) + शार्दूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (मुनिनां शार्दूलः)

• पृष्टः: was asked
• पृष्टः: Predicate (कर्मणि-क्रियाविशेषण/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग—‘asked’

• स्वगृहम्: to his own house
• स्वगृहम्: Goal/Object (कर्म/गन्तव्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्मधारय—स्वं गृहं

• आगतः: having arrived
• आगतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + गम् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—क्त (past active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि—‘having come/arrived’

Speaker

Sūta (narration)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas/Ṛṣis (addressed as द्विजाः)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vidura in a modest Hastināpura residence receives the sage Gālava; seated respectfully, Vidura begins a dharma-question as brāhmaṇas witness.

Characters & Entities

• Vidura
• Gālava
• Hastināpura

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic tīrtha narratives often teach dharma through exemplary dialogues between householders and sages.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader frame remains the kṣetra-māhātmya (Hāṭakeśvara/Śivagaṅgā stream), though this verse introduces an illustrative backstory involving Vidura.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it introduces the setting for a dharma inquiry.