Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

ऋषय ऊचुः । केन वा स्थापिता तत्र सा देवी चाम्बरेवती । किंप्रभावा किंस्वरूपा सूतपुत्र वदस्व नः

Transliteration

ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | kena vā sthāpitā tatra sā devī cāmbarevatī | kiṃprabhāvā kiṃsvarūpā sūtaputra vadasva naḥ

Translation

ഋഷികൾ പറഞ്ഞു—അവിടെ ദേവി അംബരേവതിയെ ആരാണ് സ്ഥാപിച്ചത്? അവളുടെ പ്രഭാവം എന്ത്, അവളുടെ സ്വരൂപം എന്ത്? ഹേ സൂതപുത്രാ, ഞങ്ങളോട് പറയുക।

Word by Word

• ऋषयः: the sages
• ऋषयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), बहुवचन

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; ‘said’

• केन: by whom
• केन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक सर्वनाम

• वा: indeed/or
• वा: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक (or/indeed)

• स्थापिता: was established/placed
• स्थापिता: Kriya (Predicate participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त-क्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘having been established/placed’

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (there)

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

• देवी: the goddess
• देवी: Karta (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता/सम्बोधनसमान), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (and)

• अम्बरेवती: Ambarevatī
• अम्बरेवती: Karta (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अम्बरेवती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषनाम (proper name)

• किंप्रभावा: of what power
• किंप्रभावा: Karta (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: किम् + प्रभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक विशेषण; ‘कः प्रभावः यस्याः सा’ (what power/effect)

• किंस्वरूपा: of what form/nature
• किंस्वरूपा: Karta (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: किम् + स्वरूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक विशेषण; ‘किं स्वरूपं यस्याः सा’

• सूतपुत्र: O son of Sūta
• सूतपुत्र: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत + पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘सूतस्य पुत्र’

• वदस्व: tell (us)
• वदस्व: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन; ‘speak/tell’

• नः: to us
• नः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-एकवचन (enclitic); अत्र सम्प्रदानार्थे (to us/for us)

Speaker

Ṛṣayaḥ (Sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ambarevatī (Devī-sthāna)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sūta

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A forest hermitage assembly of sages respectfully questions Sūta about Ambarevatī Devī—her installation, power, and essential form.

Characters & Entities

• Ṛṣayaḥ
• Ambarevatī Devī
• Sūta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred sites are understood through lineage of installation and the revealed power (prabhāva) of the deity; inquiry is part of dharmic learning.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The inquiry concerns the local seat of Ambarevatī described in Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s tīrtha narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; this is a question introducing the deity’s origin, form, and power.