Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

सा कथं स्थापिता तत्र किंप्रभावा च सूतज । एतन्नो ब्रूहि निःशेषं न हि तृप्यामहे वयम्

Transliteration

sā kathaṃ sthāpitā tatra kiṃprabhāvā ca sūtaja | etanno brūhi niḥśeṣaṃ na hi tṛpyāmahe vayam

Translation

Wahai putra Sūta, bagaimana batu itu ditegakkan di sana, dan apakah daya pengaruhnya? Jelaskan kepada kami semuanya tanpa tersisa, sebab kami belum merasa puas.

Word by Word

• सा: she/that (stone)
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; demonstrative pronoun

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नवाचक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• स्थापिता: was established/placed
• स्थापिता: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) → स्थापित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; agrees with सा

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• किंप्रभावा: of what power/effect
• किंप्रभावा: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + प्रभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘कः प्रभावः यस्याः/किं प्रभावः’ (interrogative)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

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

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; object pronoun

• नः: to us
• नः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-एकवचन बहुवचन-रूप (enclitic); here चतुर्थी (dative) बहुवचनार्थे ‘to us’

• ब्रूहि: tell
• ब्रूहि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (आज्ञार्थ/imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• निःशेषम्: completely, without remainder
• निःशेषम्: Adhikarana (Manner/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: निःशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) ‘पूर्णतया’; adverbial accusative usage

• न: not
• न: Nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• तृप्यामहे: we are satisfied
• तृप्यामहे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तृप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, उत्तम-पुरुष, बहुवचन

• वयम्: we
• वयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; personal pronoun

Speaker

Ṛṣis (Sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Brāhmī Mahāśilā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sūta (Sūtaja)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close focus on the sages’ faces and gestures—palms joined, one sage leaning forward—addressing Sūta with insistence on a complete explanation; the sacred stone is hinted in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta (implied by 'sūtaja')
• Brāhmī Mahāśilā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In tīrtha-māhātmya literature, faithful curiosity and seeking complete transmission of sacred history are themselves part of dharmic learning.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The inquiry concerns the Brāhmī Mahāśilā connected to the local tirtha setting of this Nāgarakhaṇḍa passage.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; the verse requests the origin story and the precise spiritual efficacy (prabhāva).