Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

ऋषय ऊचुः । शुक्लतीर्थं कथं जातं तत्र त्वं सूतनंदन । विस्तरेण समाचक्ष्व परं कौतूहलं हि नः

Transliteration

ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | śuklatīrthaṃ kathaṃ jātaṃ tatra tvaṃ sūtanaṃdana | vistareṇa samācakṣva paraṃ kautūhalaṃ hi naḥ

Translation

ಋಷಿಗಳು ಹೇಳಿದರು—ಹೇ ಸೂತನಂದನ, ಅಲ್ಲಿ ಶುಕ್ಲತೀರ್ಥ ಹೇಗೆ ಉಂಟಾಯಿತು? ನಮಗೆ ಮಹಾ ಕುತೂಹಲ; ವಿವರವಾಗಿ ತಿಳಿಸು।

Word by Word

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

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

• शुक्लतीर्थम्: the Śukla-tīrtha
• शुक्लतीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुक्ल (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; कर्म; कर्मधारयः (शुक्लं तीर्थम्)

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (how)

• जातम्: arisen, come into being
• जातम्: —
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जन् (धातु) → जात (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘शुक्लतीर्थम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (there)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• सूतनन्दन: O son of the Sūta
• सूतनन्दन: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक) + नन्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सूतस्य नन्दनः)

• विस्तरेण: in detail
• विस्तरेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विस्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन; प्रकार/उपायवाचक (in detail)

• समाचक्ष्व: tell, explain
• समाचक्ष्व: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+आ+चक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), आत्मनेपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन

• परम्: great, supreme
• परम्: —
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; ‘कौतूहलम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• कौतूहलम्: curiosity
• कौतूहलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौतूहल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतौ/निश्चयार्थक-निपात (indeed/for)

• नः: of us/our
• नः: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th case), बहुवचन; स्वत्व/सम्बन्ध (of us)

Speaker

Ṛṣis (Sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śuklatīrtha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sūtanandana (son of Sūta)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A circle of sages seated in a forest hermitage, addressing Sūta’s son with folded hands; the tīrtha’s bright waters hinted in the distance; the moment of inquiry before the origin story unfolds.

Characters & Entities

• Śuklatīrtha
• Sūta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred geography is preserved through attentive questioning and faithful transmission of tīrtha-origins (māhātmya).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śuklatīrtha, whose origin the sages request Sūta to narrate.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse introduces an inquiry into the tīrtha’s origin.