Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । ततो व्यासो द्रुतं गत्वा द्वारकां प्रति दुःखितः । कथयामास वृत्तांतं विस्तराच्चक्रपाणिने

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | tato vyāso drutaṃ gatvā dvārakāṃ prati duḥkhitaḥ | kathayāmāsa vṛttāṃtaṃ vistarāccakrapāṇine

Translation

സൂതൻ പറഞ്ഞു—അപ്പോൾ ദുഃഖിതനായ വ്യാസൻ വേഗത്തിൽ ദ്വാരകയിലേക്കു പോയി, ചക്രപാണിയായ ഭഗവാനോട് മുഴുവൻ വൃത്താന്തവും വിശദമായി പറഞ്ഞു.

Word by Word

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

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

• ततः: then
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण

• व्यासः: Vyāsa
• व्यासः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• द्रुतम्: quickly
• द्रुतम्: Adhikarana (Manner/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: द्रुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभूत-नपुंसक-एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव

• द्वारकाम्: Dvārakā
• द्वारकाम्: Karma (Goal/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वारका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• प्रति: towards
• प्रति: Adhikarana (Direction/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपसर्ग/पूर्वसर्ग-निपात; दिशावाचक (towards)

• दुःखितः: distressed
• दुःखितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुःखित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (व्यासः)

• कथयामास: narrated; told
• कथयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथय् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Periphrastic Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• वृत्तान्तम्: the account; the events
• वृत्तान्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृत्तान्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• विस्तरात्: in detail
• विस्तरात्: Adhikarana (Manner/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विस्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणार्थे (in detail)

• चक्रपाणिने: to the discus-bearer (Viṣṇu/Kṛṣṇa)
• चक्रपाणिने: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्र-पाणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; समासः—बहुव्रीहिः (यस्यान् पाणौ चक्रं सः)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vyāsa, austere and wind-swept, strides rapidly toward the sea-girt city of Dvārakā; waves, city gates, and the distant silhouette of Kṛṣṇa’s palace-temple appear as he prepares to recount the full matter to Cakrapāṇi.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Vyāsa
• Dvārakā
• Cakrapāṇi (Kṛṣṇa/Viṣṇu)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It highlights seeking divine counsel: sages turn to the Lord to resolve spiritual dilemmas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā is explicitly mentioned as the destination associated with the Lord’s presence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is narrative movement toward the sacred city and the Lord.