Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

ततः पृष्टस्तु मुनिना कथयामास विस्तरात् । वृत्तांतं सर्वमात्मीयं स्वर्गस्य गमनं प्रति

Transliteration

tataḥ pṛṣṭastu muninā kathayāmāsa vistarāt | vṛttāṃtaṃ sarvamātmīyaṃ svargasya gamanaṃ prati

Translation

ಆಮೇಲೆ ಮುನಿಯ ಪ್ರಶ್ನೆಗೆ ಉತ್ತರವಾಗಿ, ಅವನು ಸ್ವರ್ಗಗಮನದ ಪ್ರಸಂಗ ಸಹಿತ ತನ್ನ ಸಂಪೂರ್ಣ ವೃತ್ತಾಂತವನ್ನು ವಿವರವಾಗಿ ಹೇಳಿದನು।

Word by Word

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) = indeclinable adverb; अर्थे: तस्मात्/तदनन्तरम् (thereafter/from that)

• पृष्टः: (he) having been asked
• पृष्टः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पृच्छ् (धातु) → पृष्ट (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त) = past passive participle; प्रथमा-एकवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग (nominative singular masculine)

• तु: indeed/and
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/समुच्चय-भेदक) = particle; emphasis/contrast

• मुनिना: by the sage
• मुनिना: Karana (Instrument/Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (instrumental singular)

• कथयामास: told/narrated
• कथयामास: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथय् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परस्मैपद) = perfect; प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन (3rd person singular)

• विस्तरात्: in detail
• विस्तरात्: Sambandha (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विस्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक; पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (ablative singular) प्रयुक्तं क्रियाविशेषणवत् = used adverbially ‘in detail’

• वृत्तान्तम्: the account
• वृत्तान्तम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृत्तान्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (accusative singular)

• सर्वम्: entire
• सर्वम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (accusative singular); विशेषणम् वृत्तान्तम् प्रति

• आत्मीयम्: his own
• आत्मीयम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आत्मीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (accusative singular); विशेषणम् वृत्तान्तम् प्रति

• स्वर्गस्य: of heaven
• स्वर्गस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (genitive singular)

• गमनम्: going
• गमनम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गम् (धातु) → गमन (कृदन्त/भाव)
• Form: भाववाचक-नाम (action noun); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (accusative singular)

• प्रति: towards/with regard to
• प्रति: Sambandha (Direction/Relation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उपसर्ग/पूर्वसर्ग-निपात) = preposition-like indeclinable; ‘towards/with regard to’

Speaker

Unspecified narrator within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A sage/muni (questioner) and the gathered audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage questions a venerable hero; the hero begins a detailed self-narration about the path toward heaven, with a tīrtha landscape as backdrop.

Characters & Entities

• Agastya (implied)
• Rāma (implied)
• Svarga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is clarified through truthful narration before a sage, enabling guidance on higher goals.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The sacred āśrama-space where inquiry and instruction occur—tīrtha as a seat of dharma-discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the practice implied is śiṣya-like reporting and inquiry in the presence of a sage.