Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

कुत आगम्यते विप्र क्व च वा प्रतिगम्यते । क्व चायं नारदमुने कालस्ते विहृतोऽभवत्

Transliteration

kuta āgamyate vipra kva ca vā pratigamyate | kva cāyaṃ nāradamune kālaste vihṛto'bhavat

Translation

ഹേ വിപ്രാ, നീ എവിടെ നിന്നാണ് വന്നത്, എവിടേക്കാണ് പോകുന്നത്? ഹേ നാരദമുനേ, നിന്റെ കാലം എവിടെയെല്ലാം സഞ്ചാരത്തിൽ കഴിഞ്ഞു?

Word by Word

• kutaḥ: from where
• kutaḥ: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध-प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kutaḥ (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय), अर्थे: 'कस्मात्/कुतः' (from where?)

• āgamyate: is coming / is arrived
• āgamyate: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā√gam (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, आत्मनेपदम्; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः (is come/arrives)

• vipra: O brāhmaṇa
• vipra: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचनम्

• kva: where
• kva: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण-प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kva (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय), देशे (where?)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय-बोधक/Conjunction)

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (Alternative/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (विकल्प-बोधक/Disjunctive particle)

• pratigamyate: returns / goes back
• pratigamyate: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prati√gam (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, आत्मनेपदम्; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः (returns/goes back)

• kva: where
• kva: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण-प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kva (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (प्रश्नार्थक), देशे (where?)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय-बोधक)

• ayam: this (one)
• ayam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• nāradamune: O sage Nārada
• nāradamune: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nārada + muni (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचनम्; कर्मधारय-समासः (नारदः स मुनिः)

• kālaḥ: time
• kālaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचनम्

• te: your
• te: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम (your/of you)

• vihṛtaḥ: spent (in recreation)
• vihṛtaḥ: Kriya (Predicate participle/क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi√hṛ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्तः—क्त (Past Passive Participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; अर्थे: 'विहृतः' (spent/played)

• abhavat: was / became
• abhavat: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकारः (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Bhāskara (Sūrya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The radiant Sun-god, enthroned in brilliance, addresses the sage Nārada who stands with vīṇā, travel-worn yet serene; the moment is an opening inquiry before a sacred narration.

Characters & Entities

• Bhāskara (Sūrya)
• Nārada

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A sage’s journey is meaningful when rooted in dharma; the verse frames travel as accountable spiritual practice, not mere movement.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tirtha is named in this verse; it introduces Nārada’s travel narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a contextual question initiating the account of pilgrimage and sojourn.