Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । असंख्यातानि तीर्थानि तथा लिंगानि च द्विजाः । लोपं गतानि वक्ष्यामि प्राधान्येन प्रबोधत

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | asaṃkhyātāni tīrthāni tathā liṃgāni ca dvijāḥ | lopaṃ gatāni vakṣyāmi prādhānyena prabodhata

Translation

സൂതൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഹേ ദ്വിജന്മാരേ! തീർത്ഥങ്ങളും ലിംഗങ്ങളും അസംഖ്യമാണ്. ലോപത്തിലായവയിൽ പ്രധാനപ്പെട്ടവയെ ഞാൻ വിവരിക്കും; ശ്രദ്ധയോടെ കേൾക്കുക.

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta (the narrator)
• सूतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

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

• असंख्यातानि: countless
• असंख्यातानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: असंख्यात (प्रातिपदिक; न-उपसर्गयुक्त कृदन्त-विशेषण)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• तीर्थानि: pilgrimage places
• तीर्थानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), बहुवचन

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः—समुच्चय/उपमानार्थक (adverb: likewise/also)

• लिङ्गानि: liṅgas (Śiva-emblems)
• लिङ्गानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• द्विजाः: O twice-born (brāhmaṇas)
• द्विजाः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन; सम्बोधनार्थेऽपि (addressing)

• लोपम्: disappearance, loss
• लोपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• गतानि: gone, having lapsed
• गतानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गम् (धातु) + गत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), बहुवचन; विशेषण (तीर्थाणि/लिङ्गानि)

• वक्ष्यामि: I will tell
• वक्ष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person), एकवचन

• प्राधान्येन: by priority, chiefly
• प्राधान्येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राधान्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन; भाववाचक

• प्रबोधत: pay attention, understand
• प्रबोधत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रबुध् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Sūta

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijāḥ (brāhmaṇa sages/ritviks)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta, seated in a forest-āśrama or yajña-sabhā, addresses attentive dvijas, introducing a ‘lost tīrthas’ register; palm-leaf manuscripts and ritual fires suggest transmission of sacred geography.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• dvija
• tīrtha
• liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Remembering and prioritizing key sacred sites preserves dharma and keeps the living link to the kṣetra’s sanctity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse introduces a principal list of tīrthas within the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra Māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; it frames an instructive enumeration meant to guide pilgrims and listeners.