Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

नाहं तृप्तिं द्विजश्रेष्ठ प्रगच्छामि कथंचन । शृण्वानस्तु सुमाहात्म्यं क्षेत्रस्यास्य समुद्भवम्

Transliteration

nāhaṃ tṛptiṃ dvijaśreṣṭha pragacchāmi kathaṃcana | śṛṇvānastu sumāhātmyaṃ kṣetrasyāsya samudbhavam

Translation

ಹೇ ದ್ವಿಜಶ್ರೇಷ್ಠ! ಈ ಕ್ಷೇತ್ರದ ಶ್ರೇಷ್ಠ ಮಹಾತ್ಮ್ಯವನ್ನೂ ಅದರ ಉದ್ಭವವನ್ನೂ ಕೇಳುತ್ತಲೇ ಇದ್ದರೂ ನನಗೆ ಯಾವ ರೀತಿಯಲ್ಲೂ ತೃಪ್ತಿ ದೊರೆಯುವುದಿಲ್ಲ.

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध/negation particle)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तृप्तिम्: satisfaction
• तृप्तिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tṛpti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• द्विजश्रेष्ठ: O best of the twice-born
• द्विजश्रेष्ठ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (द्विजानां श्रेष्ठः)

• प्रगच्छामि: I attain/go to
• प्रगच्छामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + गम् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन

• कथंचन: in any way, at all
• कथंचन: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kathaṃcana (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अनिश्चितार्थक क्रियाविशेषण/adverb of indefiniteness)

• शृण्वानः: while hearing
• शृण्वानः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु) → शृण्वत् (कृदन्त, शतृ)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (present active participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि

• तु: indeed, however
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (विरोध/अवधारणार्थक-निपात/particle: but/indeed)

• सुमाहात्म्यम्: very great glory
• सुमाहात्म्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + माहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेष्य-विशेषणभावः (सु-माहात्म्यम् = very great glory)

• क्षेत्रस्य: of the field (holy place)
• क्षेत्रस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣetra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• अस्य: of this
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• समुद्भवम्: origin, arising (account)
• समुद्भवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम् + उद् + भू (धातु) → samudbhava (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्ताधारित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; (अत्र ‘उत्पत्तिवृत्तान्त’ अर्थे)

Speaker

Unspecified (the questioner addressing a Brahmin sage)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śaṅkhatīrtha / Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Viśvāmitra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king, eyes intent and posture humble, confesses an unsated longing to hear more; the sage listens calmly, indicating the depth of the forthcoming account.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A sincere seeker remains unsated until the sacred place’s origin and greatness are fully understood.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse points to “this kṣetra” whose māhātmya is being discussed; the chapter context leads toward Śaṅkhatīrtha/Hāṭakeśvara traditions.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse establishes the listener’s eagerness for the tīrtha’s sacred account.