Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 78

Devanagari script

नागा ऊचुः । अचिन्त्यमहिमानं त्वा रामनाथ वयं कथम् । स्तोतुमल्पधियः शक्ता भविष्यामोंऽबिकापते

Transliteration

nāgā ūcuḥ | acintyamahimānaṃ tvā rāmanātha vayaṃ katham | stotumalpadhiyaḥ śaktā bhaviṣyāmoṃ'bikāpate

Translation

ナーガたちは言った。「おおラーマナータよ、あなたの大いなる威光は思議を超える。我らの浅き知恵で、いかであなたを讃え得ようか、アンビカーの主よ。」

Word by Word

• नागाः: Nāgas (serpent-beings)
• नागाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• अचिन्त्य-महिमानम्: (one of) inconceivable glory
• अचिन्त्य-महिमानम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अचिन्त्य (प्रातिपदिक) + महिमन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (अचिन्त्यः महिमा यस्य/अचिन्त्यः महिमा)

• त्वाम्: you
• त्वाम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• रामनाथ: O Rāmanātha
• रामनाथ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रामनाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), एकवचन

• वयम्: we
• वयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्न-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• स्तोतुम्: to praise
• स्तोतुम्: Prayojana/Anukriya (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्तु (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (Infinitive), स्तु-धातोः

• अल्पधियः: of little understanding
• अल्पधियः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अल्प (प्रातिपदिक) + धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (अल्पा धिः येषाम्)

• शक्ताः: able
• शक्ताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शक्त (प्रातिपदिक; √शक्-सम्भव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• भविष्यामः: shall be
• भविष्यामः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• अम्बिकापते: O lord of Ambikā
• अम्बिकापते: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अम्बिकापति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (अम्बिकायाः पतिः)

Speaker

Nāgas

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Rāmanātha (Rāmeśvara) at Setu

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/assembly (typical frame; not stated in the verse itself)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Serpent-kings (Nāgas) with jeweled hoods folded in reverence before the Rāmanātha liṅga near the sea, expressing inability to praise the inconceivable Lord of Ambikā.

Characters & Entities

• Nāgas
• Rāmanātha (Śiva)
• Ambikā (Pārvatī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True praise begins with humility: the divine reality exceeds the mind, yet devotion still seeks to glorify the Lord.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setu/Rāmeśvaram, where Rāmanātha is praised as Ambikāpati with inconceivable majesty.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it is a stuti framed in humility.