Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

ऋषय ऊचुः । कस्मात्तस्य कृतं नाम एतच्चाऽट इति स्मृतम् । अन्वयेन परित्यक्तं तस्मात्कीर्तय सूतज

Transliteration

ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | kasmāttasya kṛtaṃ nāma etaccā'ṭa iti smṛtam | anvayena parityaktaṃ tasmātkīrtaya sūtaja

Translation

ഋഷിമാർ പറഞ്ഞു—“അവന് ഈ പേര് ഏതു കാരണത്താൽ നല്കപ്പെട്ടു? പിന്നെ അവൻ ‘അട’ എന്നു എന്തുകൊണ്ട് സ്മരിക്കപ്പെടുന്നു? ഇത് വംശാനുസൃത നാമകരണത്തിൽ നിന്ന് വ്യത്യസ്തമാണ്; അതിനാൽ പറയുക, ഹേ സൂതപുത്രാ.”

Word by Word

• ऋषयः: the sages
• ऋषयः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), बहुवचनम्

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriya (Speech act/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd), बहुवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• कस्मात्: from what cause/why
• कस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गे पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः (Ablative/5th), एकवचनम्; प्रश्नार्थक-सर्वनाम

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गे षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive/6th), एकवचनम्

• कृतम्: made, assigned
• कृतम्: Kriya/Predicate (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Nom/Acc), एकवचनम्; क्त-प्रत्ययान्तः (PPP: made)

• नाम: name
• नाम: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Nom/Acc), एकवचनम्

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Nom/Acc), एकवचनम्; निर्देश-सर्वनाम

• च: and
• च: Avyaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; समुच्चयार्थक-निपातः (conjunction)

• अट: Aṭa
• अट: Karma (Name-apposition/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Nom/Acc), एकवचनम्; नाम (proper name)

• इति: thus
• इति: Avyaya (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; उद्धरणार्थकः (quotative particle)

• स्मृतम्: is known/remembered
• स्मृतम्: Kriya/Predicate (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Nom/Acc), एकवचनम्; क्त-प्रत्ययान्तः (PPP: remembered/called)

• अन्वयेन: by lineage/connection
• अन्वयेन: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्वय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचनम्

• परित्यक्तम्: abandoned
• परित्यक्तम्: Kriya/Predicate (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परि+त्यज् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Nom/Acc), एकवचनम्; क्त-प्रत्ययान्तः (PPP: abandoned)

• तस्मात्: therefore/from that reason
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गे पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः (Ablative/5th), एकवचनम्

• कीर्तय: tell/relate
• कीर्तय: Kriya (Command/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कीर्तय् (णिजन्त-धातु; √कीर्त्/कीर्ति)
• Form: लोट्-लकारः (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुषः (2nd), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• सूतज: O son of the sūta
• सूतज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत + ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे सम्बोधन-विभक्तिः (Vocative), एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः (सूतस्य जः = son of the sūta)

Speaker

Ṛṣayaḥ (Sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Aṭeśvara (topic of inquiry)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sūta (respondent)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Forest hermitage assembly: sages seated in a semicircle, hands in añjali, questioning the sūta; behind them a riverbank or grove; a small iconographic inset of Aṭeśvara to indicate the topic.

Characters & Entities

• Ṛṣayaḥ
• Sūtaja (Sūta)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic teaching proceeds through inquiry: sincere questions open the way for the revelation of sacred history and dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of the lead-in to the tirtha’s legend (māhātmya); the site’s sanctity is explained through the name-story that follows.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a narrative question seeking the reason behind a name.