Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 12
Devanagari script
को गुरुस्ते समाचक्ष्व परं कौतूहलं हि नः । अहोज्ञानमहो ज्ञानं नैतद्दृष्टं श्रुतं च न
Transliteration
ko guruste samācakṣva paraṃ kautūhalaṃ hi naḥ | ahojñānamaho jñānaṃ naitaddṛṣṭaṃ śrutaṃ ca na
Translation
“നിന്റെ ഗുരു ആര്? പറഞ്ഞുതരിക; ഞങ്ങളുടെ കൗതുകം അത്യന്തം. അഹോ ജ്ഞാനം, അഹോ ജ്ഞാനം— ഇതുപോലെ ഞങ്ങൾ കണ്ടതുമില്ല, കേട്ടതുമില്ല.”
Word by Word
kaḥwho
kaḥ:
Prashna (Interrogative subject/प्रश्न)
TypeNoun
Rootkim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formसर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — प्रश्नार्थक
guruḥteacher
guruḥ:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootguru (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
teyour
te:
Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Roottvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formसर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन — ‘your’
samācakṣvatell, declare
samācakṣva:
Kriyā (Imperative action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootsam-ā√cakṣ (धातु)
Formलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; धातु: चक्ष् (to tell/declare) उपसर्ग: सम्+आ; ‘tell (me/us)’
paramgreat, supreme
param:
Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootpara (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अत्र ‘कौतूहलम्’ विशेषणम्
kautūhalamcuriosity, wonder
kautūhalam:
Karta/Viṣaya (Subject/topic/विषय)
TypeNoun
Rootkautūhala (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन
hiindeed
hi:
Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Roothi (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
Formअव्यय (निपात) — हेत्वर्थ/निश्चयार्थ ‘indeed/for’
naḥof us, our
naḥ:
Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootasmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formसर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th) बहुवचनस्य एन्क्लिटिक रूपम् — ‘our/of us’
ahoah!
aho:
Bhāva (Exclamation/भाव)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootaho (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
Formअव्यय (विस्मयादिबोधक निपात) — ‘ah!/oh!’
jñānamknowledge
jñānam:
Viṣaya (Topic/विषय)
TypeNoun
Rootjñāna (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विस्मयवाक्ये
ahoah!
aho:
Bhāva (Exclamation/भाव)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootaho (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
Formअव्यय (विस्मय)
jñānamknowledge
jñānam:
Viṣaya (Topic/विषय)
TypeNoun
Rootjñāna (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
nanot
na:
Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootna (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
Formअव्यय (निषेध) — ‘not’
etatthis
etat:
Karman/Viṣaya (Object/topic/विषय)
TypeNoun
Rootetad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formसर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — ‘this’
dṛṣṭamseen
dṛṣṭam:
Viśeṣaṇa (Predicate/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootdṛś (धातु)
Formकृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; ‘seen’
śrutamheard
śrutam:
Viśeṣaṇa (Predicate/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootśru (धातु)
Formकृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; ‘heard’
caand
ca:
Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootca (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
Formअव्यय (समुच्चय)
nanot
na:
Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootna (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
Formअव्यय (निषेध)
Speaker
Ṛtvijaḥ (the priests), addressing the jñānī
Visual Art Cues
Scene: Seekers, visibly astonished, gesture toward the sage, asking about his guru; their faces show wonder that such knowledge is unheard-of.
Characters & Entities
G
guruFAQs
Remarkable spiritual attainment is rooted in guidance—seeking the guru is presented as the natural response to witnessing true wisdom.
No specific tīrtha is identified in this verse.
None; the focus is on the guru-principle rather than a ritual act.