Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

ततः कथावसाने च कस्मिंश्चिद्द्विजसत्तमाः । पप्रच्छ तं मुनिश्रेष्ठं रोहिताश्वो महीपतिः

Transliteration

tataḥ kathāvasāne ca kasmiṃściddvijasattamāḥ | papraccha taṃ muniśreṣṭhaṃ rohitāśvo mahīpatiḥ

Translation

やがて物語が終わると、ああ二度生まれの最勝者よ、ローヒターシュヴァ王はその最上の牟尼に問いかけた。

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय; तद्-तसिल्)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (then)

• कथावसाने: at the end of the story
• कथावसाने: Adhikarana (Location/Time locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथा + अवसान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

• कस्मिन्: in some (place/time)
• कस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/Time locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); प्रश्नवाचक

• चित्: some / certain
• चित्: Nirdharana (Indefinitizing particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनिश्चितार्थक (indefinite particle)

• द्विजसत्तमाः: excellent Brahmins
• द्विजसत्तमाः: Sambodhyah/Prastava (Contextual addressees)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

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

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

• मुनिश्रेष्ठम्: the best of sages
• मुनिश्रेष्ठम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• रोहिताश्वः: Rohitāśva
• रोहिताश्वः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रोहिताश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• महीपतिः: the king (lord of the earth)
• महीपतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); रोहिताश्वस्य विशेषणम् (appositional)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; verse reports the action)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijasattamāḥ (addressed audience)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At the close of stories, the king rises slightly, hands folded, and asks the foremost sage a question; brāhmaṇas sit as witnesses, signaling a formal dharma consultation.

Characters & Entities

• Rohitāśva
• Muniśreṣṭha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is learned through humble inquiry—kings too approach sages to understand sacred duties.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified in this verse; it introduces the question that leads to ritual guidance.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None yet; the king’s question will open the topic of śrāddha.