Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

एवं प्रकृतिमापन्ना भूय एव सरस्वती । यत्पृष्टोऽस्मि महाभागाः सरस्वत्याः कृते द्विजाः

Transliteration

evaṃ prakṛtimāpannā bhūya eva sarasvatī | yatpṛṣṭo'smi mahābhāgāḥ sarasvatyāḥ kṛte dvijāḥ

Translation

ഇങ്ങനെ സരസ്വതി വീണ്ടും തന്റെ സ്വാഭാവിക നിലയിലേക്കു മടങ്ങി. ഹേ മഹാഭാഗ്യശാലികളായ ദ്വിജന്മാരേ, സരസ്വതിയെക്കുറിച്ച് നിങ്ങൾ ചോദിച്ചതെല്ലാം ഞാൻ പറഞ്ഞു.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (प्रकारवाचक) — adverb 'thus'

• प्रकृतिम्: (her) natural state
• प्रकृतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रकृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन — Accusative singular

• आपन्ना: having attained
• आपन्ना: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√पद् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — past participle 'having attained'

• भूयः: again
• भूयः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भूयः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (पुनरावृत्ति/अधिक्य) — adverb 'again/further'

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अवधारण) — particle 'indeed/only'

• सरस्वती: Sarasvatī
• सरस्वती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस्वती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — Nominative singular

• यत्: what
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन — relative pronoun 'what/that which'

• पृष्टः: (I) was asked
• पृष्टः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पृच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — past participle 'asked' (passive sense)

• अस्मि: am
• अस्मि: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन — 'am'

• महाभागाः: O fortunate ones
• महाभागाः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन — Vocative/Address sense in context; कर्मधारयः (महान्तो भागाः/महाभागाः)

• सरस्वत्याः: of Sarasvatī
• सरस्वत्याः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस्वती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन — Genitive singular

• कृते: for the sake of
• कृते: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय-प्रयोग (कृते इति सप्तमी/हेतु-अर्थे) — postposition-like 'for the sake of'

• द्विजाः: O twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विजाः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन — Vocative/Address sense in context

Speaker

Sūta (deduced from immediate chapter context; explicit in 174.1)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sarasvatī-tīrtha (narrated locus)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijas/brāhmaṇas (explicit)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The river-goddess Sarasvatī appears serene, her waters calm and clear again; sages sit respectfully as the narrator completes the explanation.

Characters & Entities

• Sarasvatī
• Dvijas (brāhmaṇas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Restoration to ‘prakṛti’ signifies the re-establishment of cosmic order—Purāṇic tīrtha narratives often end by reaffirming harmony and dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Śrīhāṭakeśvara-kṣetra setting within Nāgara Khaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya, framed through the Sarasvatī account.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed in this verse; it functions as a narrative conclusion and transition.