Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । तस्य तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा चिरं ध्यात्वा मुनीश्वरः । ततस्तं प्रहसन्प्राह ज्ञात्वा दिव्येन चक्षुषा

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | tasya tadvacanaṃ śrutvā ciraṃ dhyātvā munīśvaraḥ | tatastaṃ prahasanprāha jñātvā divyena cakṣuṣā

Translation

スータは語った。彼の言葉を聞くと、尊き聖仙は久しく思惟した。やがて微笑み、天眼によって事の真相を悟り、彼に語りかけた。

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta
• सूतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

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

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

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (qualifier)

• वचनम्: speech/statement
• वचनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive)

• चिरम्: for long
• चिरम्: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चिरम् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: for a long time)

• ध्यात्वा: having reflected/meditated
• ध्यात्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ध्यै (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive)

• मुनीश्वरः: lord of sages
• मुनीश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (munīnām īśvaraḥ)

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: then/from that)

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रहसन्: smiling/laughing
• प्रहसन्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + हस् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (present participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्राह: said
• प्राह: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + अह्/ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• ज्ञात्वा: having known/recognized
• ज्ञात्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive)

• दिव्येन: divine
• दिव्येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण

• चक्षुषा: with (his) eye/vision
• चक्षुषा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्षुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Sūta

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (implied Sūta-frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The narrator frames a pause: the sage listens, meditates long, then smiles with knowing compassion, indicating inner vision before speaking.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• munīśvara (a great sage)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True guidance arises from patient reflection and higher discernment, not haste.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse functions as narrative framing within the Tīrthamāhātmya; no single tīrtha is named in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it introduces a revelatory response by a sage.