Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 80

Devanagari script

नारद उवाच । अथाहूतश्चित्रगुप्तो यमेन सहसागतः । आयुःप्रमाण त्वत्सूनोः परिपृष्टः स चाब्रवीत्

Transliteration

nārada uvāca | athāhūtaścitragupto yamena sahasāgataḥ | āyuḥpramāṇa tvatsūnoḥ paripṛṣṭaḥ sa cābravīt

Translation

ನಾರದನು ಹೇಳಿದರು—ಆಮೇಲೆ ಯಮನು ಕರೆಯುತ್ತಿದ್ದಂತೆ ಚಿತ್ರಗುಪ್ತನು ತಕ್ಷಣ ಬಂದನು. ನಿನ್ನ ಮಗನ ಆಯುಷ್ಯದ ಪ್ರಮಾಣವನ್ನು ಕೇಳಿದಾಗ ಅವನು ಉತ್ತರಿಸಿದನು.

Word by Word

• नारदः: Nārada
• नारदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse linker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (sequencing particle: then)

• आहूतः: having been summoned
• आहूतः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + हु (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकालिक-कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying citraguptaḥ)

• चित्रगुप्तः: Citragupta
• चित्रगुप्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चित्र + गुप्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• यमेन: by Yama
• यमेन: Karana (Agent-instrument in passive sense/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• सहसा: quickly
• सहसा: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सहसा (अव्यय)
• Form: रीत्यर्थक-अव्यय (adverb: quickly/suddenly)

• आगतः: came
• आगतः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रियापूरक)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + गम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकालिक-कृदन्त (past active participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तरि (as finite-like predicate)

• आयुःप्रमाणम्: the measure of lifespan
• आयुःप्रमाणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयुस् + प्रमाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• त्वत्सूनोः: of your son
• त्वत्सूनोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + सूनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• परिपृष्टः: having been asked
• परिपृष्टः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परि + पृच्छ् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकालिक-कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying saḥ)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• अब्रवीत्: said/spoke
• अब्रवीत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

Speaker

Nārada

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nārada narrates: Citragupta, summoned by Yama, arrives swiftly; questioned about the prince’s lifespan measure, he prepares to answer.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Citragupta
• Yama
• King's son

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇa depicts a moral universe where lifespan and fate are tied to karma and are administered with precision.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it introduces Citragupta’s testimony about lifespan.