Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

नारद उवाच । पंचायतनसंज्ञेयं कस्योक्ता सा कथं भवेत् । कथं पूजा च कर्तव्या विस्तरेणाशु तद्वद

Transliteration

nārada uvāca | paṃcāyatanasaṃjñeyaṃ kasyoktā sā kathaṃ bhavet | kathaṃ pūjā ca kartavyā vistareṇāśu tadvada

Translation

ນາຣະດະ ກ່າວວ່າ: “ຄໍາວ່າ ‘ປັນຈາຍະຕະນະ’ ໝາຍຄວາມວ່າຢ່າງໃດ? ໃຜເປັນຜູ້ສອນ, ແລະຄວນເຂົ້າໃຈແນວໃດ? ການບູຊາຄວນເຮັດແນວໃດ? ຂໍໃຫ້ທ່ານບອກໃຫ້ໄວ ແລະລະອຽດ”។

Word by Word

• नारदः: Nārada
• नारदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

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

• पंचायतनसंज्ञेयम्: to be termed ‘pañcāyatana’
• पंचायतनसंज्ञेयम्: Karma/Predicate-adjective (कर्म/विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च + आयतन + संज्ञेय (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd: Nominative/Accusative), एकवचन; कृदन्तः—तव्यत्/यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (संज्ञेय = ‘to be called/known’); समासः—तत्पुरुष (पञ्चायतनस्य संज्ञेयम्)

• कस्य: of whom, by whom
• कस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम

• उक्ता: said, stated
• उक्ता: Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle)

• सा: that (she/it)
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• भवेत्: would be, should be
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• पूजा: worship
• पूजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• कर्तव्या: to be done, should be performed
• कर्तव्या: Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + तव्य (कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive: ‘to be done’)

• विस्तरेण: in detail
• विस्तरेण: Karana (Manner/Means—करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विस्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणभावे (adverbial instrumental)

• आशु: quickly
• आशु: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आशु (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time/quickly)

• तत्: that (matter)
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• वद: tell, speak
• वद: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Nārada

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nārada, with vīṇā, respectfully questioning a sage about pañcāyatana—its definition, origin, and worship method—setting up a detailed exposition.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Pañcāyatana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sincere inquiry into right practice is itself part of dharma; clarity about worship methods is valued in Purāṇic teaching.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

No site is named in this verse; it continues the Cāturmāsya discourse embedded in the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A request for the detailed method (vidhi) of pañcāyatana pūjā; the prescription follows in subsequent verses.