Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 83

Devanagari script

शुनोमुख उवाच । मया हृतानि सर्वेषां बिसानीमानि वो द्विजाः । धर्मान्वै श्रोतुकामेन मां जानीत पुरंदरम्

Transliteration

śunomukha uvāca | mayā hṛtāni sarveṣāṃ bisānīmāni vo dvijāḥ | dharmānvai śrotukāmena māṃ jānīta puraṃdaram

Translation

શુનોમુખે કહ્યું—હે દ્વિજોએ, તમારા આ બધા કમળના ડાંઠ મેં જ લઈ લીધા છે; પરંતુ ધર્મકથા સાંભળવાની ઇચ્છાથી જ મેં એવું કર્યું—મને પુરંદર તરીકે જાણો।

Word by Word

• शुनोमुखः: Śunomukha
• शुनोमुखः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुन्/श्वन् (प्रातिपदिक) + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Agent-instrumental/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• हृतानि: stolen, taken away
• हृतानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हृ (धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), बहुवचन (Plural); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• सर्वेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural)

• बिसानि: lotus-stalks
• बिसानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बिस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), बहुवचन (Plural)

• इमानि: these
• इमानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), बहुवचन (Plural)

• वः: of you / to you
• वः: Sampradana/Sambandha (Recipient/Genitive/सम्प्रदान/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्ग, षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Gen./Dat.), बहुवचन (Plural)

• द्विजाः: O twice-born ones
• द्विजाः: Sambodhana (Addressed/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• धर्मान्: duties, dharmas
• धर्मान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), निश्चय/उपपादन (indeed/emphasis)

• श्रोतुकामेन: by/with the desire to hear
• श्रोतुकामेन: Hetu/Karana (Cause/Instrumental of motive/हेतु/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रु (धातु) + तुमुन् (infinitive base) + काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular); तुमुनन्त-समासपूर्वक ‘श्रोतुकाम’ (desirous to hear)

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• जानीत: know/recognize (you all)
• जानीत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), बहुवचन (Plural), परस्मैपद

• पुरंदरम्: Purandara (Indra)
• पुरंदरम्: Karma (Object complement/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरंदर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Śunomukha

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvijas/ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śunomukha openly admits taking the lotus-stalks; as he speaks, his form subtly reveals Purandara (Indra): a faint crown, vajra motif, celestial aura; sages react with astonishment, the lotus pond gleams behind.

Characters & Entities

• Śunomukha
• Dvijas (Brāhmaṇas)
• Purandara (Indra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even disruptive or puzzling events can serve Dharma when they arise from a sincere desire to hear and understand righteous conduct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse occurs within the Nāgara Khaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya setting; the specific tīrtha is not named in this single śloka and must be inferred from the surrounding verses of Adhyāya 32.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual (snāna, dāna, japa, vrata) is prescribed in this verse; it frames a Dharma-teaching dialogue by revealing the speaker’s intent.