Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 58

Devanagari script

तत्प्रसादादसंदिग्धं प्रमाणं चात्र संस्थितम् । मुक्त्वैकं वेदपठनं सूतत्वं च यतो मयि

Transliteration

tatprasādādasaṃdigdhaṃ pramāṇaṃ cātra saṃsthitam | muktvaikaṃ vedapaṭhanaṃ sūtatvaṃ ca yato mayi

Translation

അവന്റെ പ്രസാദത്താൽ ഇവിടെ സംശയരഹിതമായ പ്രമാണവും പ്രാമാണ്യവും സ്ഥാപിതമായി. എനിക്കുള്ള ഏക കുറവ്—വേദപഠനം—കാരണം ഞാൻ സൂതസ്ഥാനത്തിൽ ആകുന്നു.

Word by Word

• तत्: of that (his)
• तत्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• प्रसादात्: from (his) grace
• प्रसादात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रसाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; अपादानार्थे

• असंदिग्धम्: undoubted, certain
• असंदिग्धम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: असंदिग्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (प्रमाणम् इति)

• प्रमाणम्: proof, authority
• प्रमाणम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रमाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• संस्थितम्: established, situated
• संस्थितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृत् (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (प्रमाणम् इति)

• मुक्त्वा: having left, excepting
• मुक्त्वा: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial to verb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मुच् (धातु) + क्त्वा (अव्ययकृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive)

• एकम्: one, only
• एकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (वेदपठनम् इति)

• वेदपठनम्: recitation of the Veda
• वेदपठनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक) + पठन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वेदस्य पठनम्)

• सूतत्वम्: the state/role of a sūta
• सूतत्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूतत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• यतः: because, since
• यतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यतः (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतुवाचक-अव्यय (causal indeclinable: 'because/since')

• मयि: in me
• मयि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pādukā-tīrtha (implied in the surrounding passage)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A humble Sūta-speaker in an ascetic assembly gestures toward a sanctified spot, acknowledging grace-established authority while confessing lack of Vedic recitation; sages listen attentively.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Pramāṇa
• Veda (vedapaṭhana)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual authority is framed as arising from grace and realization, while acknowledging traditional role-bound limits with humility.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Indirectly, the previously described Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra practice is the basis for the narrator’s certainty; this verse itself highlights authority rather than geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it clarifies the narrator’s standing and the certainty of the teaching.