Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

एतन्नः सर्वमाचक्ष्व विस्तरेण महामते । तथा तस्य महीपस्य पांड्यस्यापि कथां शुभाम्

Transliteration

etannaḥ sarvamācakṣva vistareṇa mahāmate | tathā tasya mahīpasya pāṃḍyasyāpi kathāṃ śubhām

Translation

Expose-nous tout cela en détail, ô grand d’âme, et raconte aussi l’heureux récit de ce roi, le Pāṇḍya.

Word by Word

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• नः: to us / for us
• नः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive) / चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), बहुवचन; अत्र प्रायः चतुर्थी-अर्थे (to us)

• सर्वम्: all, entire
• सर्वम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; एतत् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• आचक्ष्व: tell, explain
• आचक्ष्व: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + चक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

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

• महामते: O great-minded one
• महामते: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महामति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महान् मतिः यस्य)

• तथा: also, likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (also/likewise)

• तस्य: of him/that
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• महीपस्य: of the king
• महीपस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महीप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मही + प = lord of earth)

• पाण्ड्यस्य: of Pāṇḍya
• पाण्ड्यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्ड्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (particle: also/even)

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

• शुभाम्: auspicious
• शुभाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कथाम् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

Ṛṣis (sages)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sūta

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The sages press Sūta for an expanded account: Soma’s story and the auspicious tale of King Pāṇḍya; the composition emphasizes attentive listening and the authority of oral tradition.

Characters & Entities

• Ṛṣis
• Sūta
• Pāṇḍya king
• Soma (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Holy narratives (kathā) are treated as auspicious and instructive, guiding listeners toward pilgrimage and worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Somēśvara tīrtha is the narrative focus, with the Pāṇḍya episode serving as supporting testimony to its power.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the sages request a detailed recounting that will ground later prescriptions in story and authority.