Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

ऋषय ऊचुः । मृगतीर्थं कथं तत्र संजातं सूतनंदन । किं प्रभावं समाचक्ष्व परं कौतूहलं हि नः

Transliteration

ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | mṛgatīrthaṃ kathaṃ tatra saṃjātaṃ sūtanaṃdana | kiṃ prabhāvaṃ samācakṣva paraṃ kautūhalaṃ hi naḥ

Translation

ພວກລຶດສີກ່າວວ່າ: “ໂອ ບຸດແຫ່ງສູຕະ, ມຶກະຕີຣຖະເກີດຂຶ້ນຢູ່ທີ່ນັ້ນແນວໃດ? ຂໍຈົ່ງບອກອານຸພາບຂອງມັນໃຫ້ພວກເຮົາ, ເພາະຄວາມຢາກຮູ້ຂອງພວກເຮົາຍິ່ງໃຫຍ່ນັກ.”

Word by Word

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

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

• मृगतीर्थम्: the Deer-tīrtha (holy ford)
• मृगतीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृग (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• संजातम्: arose / came into being
• संजातम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + जन् (धातु)
• Form: कृत्-प्रत्यय: क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगार्थ (PPP: 'arisen/come into being')

• सूतनन्दन: O son of Sūta
• सूतनन्दन: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक) + नन्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रभावम्: power, efficacy
• प्रभावम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• परम्: great, supreme
• परम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying)

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

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; emphasis/causal nuance)

• नः: of us / our
• नः: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural) — enclitic form

Speaker

Ṛṣis (sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mṛgatīrtha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sūta-nandana (Sūta-putra)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An assembly of sages seated in a forest hermitage, respectfully questioning Sūta’s son about the origin and power of Mṛgatīrtha; palm-leaf manuscripts, sacrificial fires, and a calm didactic atmosphere.

Characters & Entities

• Ṛṣis
• Sūta
• Mṛgatīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharmic inquiry is honored: understanding a tīrtha’s origin and power deepens faith and right practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Mṛgatīrtha, whose origin and prabhāva the sages request.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse introduces a question leading to the tīrtha’s origin narrative.