Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ऋषय ऊचुः । यत्त्वया सूतज प्रोक्तं तक्षकः संभविष्यति । सौराष्ट्रविषये राजा रैवताख्यो महाबलः

Transliteration

ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | yattvayā sūtaja proktaṃ takṣakaḥ saṃbhaviṣyati | saurāṣṭraviṣaye rājā raivatākhyo mahābalaḥ

Translation

ഋഷികൾ പറഞ്ഞു—ഹേ സൂതപുത്രാ! നീ പറഞ്ഞതുപോലെ തക്ഷകൻ ഉദ്ഭവിക്കും; സൗരാഷ്ട്രദേശത്ത് റൈവതൻ എന്ന മഹാബലവാനായ രാജാവും ഉണ്ടാകും.

Word by Word

• ऋषयः: the sages
• ऋषयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परिपूर्णभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• यत्: what/that which
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative)

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• सूतज: O son of Sūta
• सूतज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत + ज (प्रातिपदिकसमूह)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः = ‘सूतस्य जः’ (son of Sūta)

• प्रोक्तम्: told
• प्रोक्तम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘said/told’ (agreeing with ‘यत्’)

• तक्षकः: Takṣaka
• तक्षकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तक्षक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• संभविष्यति: will arise/come to be
• संभविष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (भविष्यत्/Future), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• सौराष्ट्र: Saurāṣṭra
• सौराष्ट्र: —
• Type: Noun
• Root: सौराष्ट्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (देशवाचक), प्रातिपदिक; समासपूर्वपद

• विषये: in the region
• विषये: Adhikarana (Location/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विषय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• सौराष्ट्रविषये: in the Saurāṣṭra region
• सौराष्ट्रविषये: Adhikarana (Location/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सौराष्ट्र + विषय (प्रातिपदिकसमूह)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (षष्ठी) = ‘सौराष्ट्रस्य विषयः’

• राजा: king
• राजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• रैवताख्यः: named Raivata
• रैवताख्यः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रैवत + आख्य (प्रातिपदिकसमूह)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः = ‘रैवत इति आख्यः’ (named Raivata)

• महाबलः: mighty/very strong
• महाबलः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + बल (प्रातिपदिकसमूह)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयसमासः = ‘महच्च तत् बलं यस्य’ (very strong)

Speaker

Ṛṣis (sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Saurāṣṭra-deśa (regional tīrtha-field)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sūta (Sūtaja)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A circle of sages in an āśrama address Sūta, while a visionary backdrop shows Saurāṣṭra’s landscape—coastline/temples—and a mighty king (Raivata) standing with regal composure.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta (sūtaja)
• Takṣaka
• King Raivata
• Saurāṣṭra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇas frame sacred history through lineages and regions, linking tīrtha greatness with rulers and destined events.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse foregrounds the Saurāṣṭra region as the setting; it does not name a particular tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is an inquiry/confirmation about persons and place within the unfolding māhātmya.