Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

अथ ताभ्यां मुनिर्दृष्टो नारदो ब्रह्मसंभवः । सांत्वपूर्वं तदा पृष्टो विष्णुं ब्रह्म सनातनम्

Transliteration

atha tābhyāṃ munirdṛṣṭo nārado brahmasaṃbhavaḥ | sāṃtvapūrvaṃ tadā pṛṣṭo viṣṇuṃ brahma sanātanam

Translation

Alors ils virent le sage Nārada, né de Brahmā ; et, après avoir d’abord prononcé des paroles d’apaisement, ils l’interrogèrent au sujet de Viṣṇu, le Brahman éternel.

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रमसूचक (then)

• ताभ्याम्: by those two
• ताभ्याम्: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), द्विवचन

• मुनिः: the sage
• मुनिः: Karma (Object in passive/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• दृष्टः: was seen
• दृष्टः: Kriyā (Passive predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) → दृष्ट (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/Past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगः (was seen)

• नारदः: Nārada
• नारदः: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; मुनिः इति विशेष्यस्य अपपद-सम्बन्धेन समानाधिकरणम् (apposition)

• ब्रह्मसंभवः: born of Brahmā
• ब्रह्मसंभवः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्मन् + संभव (प्रातिपदिक); समासः
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying ‘नारदः’); ‘ब्रह्मणः संभवः’ (born of Brahmā)

• सांत्वपूर्वम्: after first consoling (him)
• सांत्वपूर्वम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सांत्व + पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक); समासः
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमास; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: “after/with conciliation first”)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Temporal modifier/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (then)

• पृष्टः: was asked
• पृष्टः: Kriyā (Passive predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रच्छ् (धातु) → पृष्ट (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगः (was asked)

• विष्णुम्: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; पृच्छ्-क्रियायाः विषयः (object of inquiry)

• ब्रह्म: the Absolute (Brahman)
• ब्रह्म: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; विष्णोः विशेषणरूपेण समानाधिकरणम् (appositional epithet)

• सनातनम्: eternal
• सनातनम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सनातन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying ‘विष्णुम्’)

Speaker

Sūta (contextual continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In a quiet grove or temple courtyard, Nārada appears with vīṇā, radiant and calm; the two seekers approach respectfully, their agitation soothed as dialogue begins about the eternal Viṣṇu.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Brahmā
• Viṣṇu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In sacred journeys, right knowledge arises through saintly guidance—Nārada becomes the bridge from seeking to realization.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is transitional; it introduces Nārada within the kṣetra-centered narrative rather than naming a new tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; respectful inquiry (praśna) to a realized sage is highlighted.