Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

ऋषय ऊचुः । केन कर्मविपाकेन संजाता विषकन्यका । स्वकुलोच्छेदनकरी सर्वं सूत ब्रवीहि नः

Transliteration

ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | kena karmavipākena saṃjātā viṣakanyakā | svakulocchedanakarī sarvaṃ sūta bravīhi naḥ

Translation

仙人たちは言った。「いかなる業の熟しによって、この毒の乙女が生じたのか――自らの家系を滅ぼす者よ。スータよ、すべてを我らに語れ。」

Word by Word

• ऋषयः: the sages
• ऋषयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/लिट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• केन: by what (cause)
• केन: Karana/Hetu (Instrument/Cause/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक सर्वनाम

• कर्मविपाकेन: by the fruition of karma
• कर्मविपाकेन: Karana/Hetu (Instrument/Cause/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्म-विपाक (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; कर्मणः विपाकः इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• संजाता: was born/arose
• संजाता: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-जन् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृत् (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• विषकन्यका: the poison-maiden
• विषकन्यका: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष-कन्यका (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विषस्य कन्यका इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• स्वकुलोच्छेदनकरी: one who causes the destruction of her own lineage
• स्वकुलोच्छेदनकरी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व-कुल-उच्छेदन-करिन् (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; करिन्-प्रत्ययान्त; "स्वकुलस्य उच्छेदनं करोति" इति; qualifies विषकन्यका

• सर्वम्: everything
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; object of imperative

• सूत: O Sūta
• सूत: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• ब्रवीहि: tell/speak
• ब्रवीहि: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/लोट्), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• नः: to us/for us
• नः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी) बहुवचन-रूप (enclitic); "of us/to us" (contextually dative sense)

Speaker

Ṛṣayaḥ (Sages)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sūta

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A forest hermitage assembly: sages seated in a semicircle, palms joined, questioning Sūta; the atmosphere is contemplative, with a manuscript stand and sacrificial fire, indicating transmission of karmic knowledge.

Characters & Entities

• Ṛṣayaḥ
• Sūta
• viṣakanyākā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It models dhārmic inquiry: sages seek the karmic cause behind suffering, affirming moral causality in Purāṇic thought.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is a narrative question within Tīrthamāhātmya; the tīrtha itself is described in subsequent verses of the same adhyāya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None here; it is a request for explanation, not a rite.