Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

एतस्मिन्नंतरे प्राप्तो नारदो मुनिसत्तमः । दृष्ट्वा तं माहिषं सर्वं व्यवहारं महोत्कटम्

Transliteration

etasminnaṃtare prāpto nārado munisattamaḥ | dṛṣṭvā taṃ māhiṣaṃ sarvaṃ vyavahāraṃ mahotkaṭam

Translation

അന്നേരം മുനിശ്രേഷ്ഠനായ നാരദൻ അവിടെ എത്തി; മഹിഷന്റെ അത്യന്തം ഭീകരമായ സമസ്ത പ്രവർത്തനങ്ങളും കണ്ടു എല്ലാം മനസ്സിലാക്കി।

Word by Word

• एतस्मिन्: in this
• एतस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/temporal frame)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• अन्तरे: in the interval/meanwhile
• अन्तरे: Adhikarana (Temporal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; कालवाचक (in the meantime)

• प्राप्तः: arrived
• प्राप्तः: Kriya (Predicate participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु) → प्राप्त (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, past participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नारदः इत्यस्य विधेय

• नारदः: Nārada
• नारदः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• मुनिसत्तमः: best of sages
• मुनिसत्तमः: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक) + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (मुनीनां सत्तमः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नारदः इत्यस्य विशेषण

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया/absolutive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) → दृष्ट (कृदन्त, क्त) + त्वा
• Form: कृदन्त (त्वान्त/absolutive); पूर्वकाले कृत्य (having seen)

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• माहिषम्: the buffalo(-demon)
• माहिषम्: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: माहिष (प्रातिपदिक; महिष-सम्बन्धी)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तम् इत्यस्य विशेषण (the buffalo(-demon))

• सर्वम्: entire
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; व्यवहारम् इत्यस्य विशेषण

• व्यवहारम्: conduct/affairs
• व्यवहारम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यवहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• महोत्कटम्: very fierce/terrible
• महोत्कटम्: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्कट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः—कर्मधारय (महान् उत्कटः); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; व्यवहारम् इत्यस्य विशेषण

Speaker

Sūta (continued narration)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis at Naimiṣāraṇya (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nārada enters suddenly with vīṇā, radiant and calm; devas turn toward him with hope; in the distance, Mahīṣa’s fierce activities are glimpsed like a storm; Nārada’s gaze assesses the situation.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Mahiṣa (Mahīṣāsura)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The presence of realized sages in Purāṇic narrative signals discernment and course-correction; truth is first ‘seen clearly’ before it is addressed.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; the verse introduces Nārada’s entry into the story.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.