Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । अहं वः कीर्तयिष्यामि कथामेतां मनोहराम् । सर्वपापहरां विप्राश्चमत्कारनृपोद्भवाम्

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | ahaṃ vaḥ kīrtayiṣyāmi kathāmetāṃ manoharām | sarvapāpaharāṃ viprāścamatkāranṛpodbhavām

Translation

സൂതൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഹേ വിപ്രന്മാരേ, ഞാൻ നിങ്ങളോട് ഈ മനോഹരമായ കഥ കീർത്തിക്കും; ഇത് സർവ്വപാപഹരവും ചമത്കാരനൃപനിൽ നിന്നു ഉദ്ഭവിച്ചതുമാണ്.

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta
• सूतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

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

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• वः: to you / for you
• वः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी (6th/Genitive or 4th/Dative), बहुवचन; एन्क्लिटिक रूप (enclitic)

• कीर्तयिष्यामि: I shall narrate/proclaim
• कीर्तयिष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कीर्तय् (धातु; √कीर्त् causative/णिजन्त from √कीर्त्/√कृत्?; प्रचलित धातु-रूप: कीर्तयति)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• कथाम्: story
• कथाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• एताम्: this
• एताम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम-विशेषण

• मनोहराम्: charming
• मनोहराम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मनोहर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• सर्वपापहराम्: removing all sins
• सर्वपापहराम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + पाप + हर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (sarveṣāṃ pāpānāṃ harā)

• विप्राः: O Brahmins
• विप्राः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सम्बोधनार्थे अपि (addressing sense possible)

• चमत्कारनृपोद्भवाम्: arising from the wondrous king (episode)
• चमत्कारनृपोद्भवाम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चमत्कार + नृप + उद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (चमत्कारस्य नृपस्य उद्भवा/नृपोद्भवा)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śaṅkhatīrtha (kathā to be narrated)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas/Ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta sits as narrator before an attentive circle of brāhmaṇas, announcing a delightful, sin-destroying story about the wondrous king Cāmatkāra.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Cāmatkāra (king)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Listening to Purāṇic tīrtha-māhātmya with faith is presented as a sin-destroying act and a doorway into dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śaṅkhatīrtha is the subject of the forthcoming narration within Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra Māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śravaṇa/kīrtana (hearing and recitation) of the kathā is implied as meritorious, though no detailed rite is specified in this verse.