Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । इति व्याघ्रवचः श्रुत्वा सुशीला नन्दिनी तदा । गतालयं समुद्दिश्य यत्र बालः सुतः स्थितः

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | iti vyāghravacaḥ śrutvā suśīlā nandinī tadā | gatālayaṃ samuddiśya yatra bālaḥ sutaḥ sthitaḥ

Translation

ສູຕະເວົ້າວ່າ: ເມື່ອໄດ້ຍິນຄຳຂອງເສືອ ນັນດິນີຜູ້ມີຄຸນທຳກໍໄດ້ອອກເດີນທາງໄປຫາທີ່ພັກຂອງນາງ ບ່ອນທີ່ລູກນ້ອຍຂອງນາງຢູ່.

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta
• सूतः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; वाक्यसमाप्ति/उद्धरणसूचक (thus/quotative)

• व्याघ्र-वचः: the tiger’s words
• व्याघ्र-वचः: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्याघ्र (प्रातिपदिक) + वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (व्याघ्रस्य वचः = tiger’s words)

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund)

• सु-शीला: virtuous
• सु-शीला: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + शील (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (सुशीलाः = of good conduct)

• नन्दिनी: Nandinī
• नन्दिनी: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नन्दिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kriya-visheshana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (at that time)

• गत-आलयम्: the dwelling reached (home)
• गत-आलयम्: Karma (Object of samuddiśya)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + आलय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषार्थ (गतं आलयं = the reached dwelling / the dwelling to which (she) went)

• समुद्दिश्य: having set out toward
• समुद्दिश्य: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + उद् + दिश् (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्/क्त्वा-समकक्ष अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund), अर्थः ‘उद्दिश्य’ (having headed toward/aiming at)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक सम्बन्ध (where)

• बालः: young
• बालः: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying sutaḥ)

• सुतः: son
• सुतः: Karta (of sthitaḥ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• स्थितः: was staying/was situated
• स्थितः: Kriya (State)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (Past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nandinī, virtuous and resolute, walks swiftly toward her dwelling; the path is liminal—between forest danger and domestic sanctuary—her face set with urgency.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Vyāghra (tiger)
• Nandinī
• son (bāla/suta)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is shown through responsible action—she goes to secure her child while intending to keep her promise.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This line continues the Tīrthamāhātmya storyline; the tīrtha is contextual to the chapter, not explicitly named in the verse itself.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is narrative progression within a māhātmya framework.