Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

के ग्रामाः कानि तीर्थानि के नगाः सरितश्च काः । नामभिर्वद नः सूत सर्वाण्येतानि विस्तरात्

Transliteration

ke grāmāḥ kāni tīrthāni ke nagāḥ saritaśca kāḥ | nāmabhirvada naḥ sūta sarvāṇyetāni vistarāt

Translation

ഏത് ഗ്രാമങ്ങൾ, ഏത് തീർത്ഥങ്ങൾ, ഏത് പർവ്വതങ്ങൾ, ഏത് നദികൾ? ഹേ സൂതാ, ഇവയെല്ലാം നാമങ്ങളോടെ ഞങ്ങൾക്ക് വിശദമായി പറയുക.

Word by Word

• के: which?
• के: Visheshana (Interrogative qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• ग्रामाः: villages
• ग्रामाः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन

• कानि: which?
• कानि: Visheshana (Interrogative qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; बहुवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• तीर्थानि: tīrthas; sacred places
• तीर्थानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; बहुवचन

• के: which?
• के: Visheshana (Interrogative qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• नगाः: mountains
• नगाः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन

• सरितः: rivers
• सरितः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरित् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन (नपुंसक-रूपवत् प्रथमा बहुवचन)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• काः: which?
• काः: Visheshana (Interrogative qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• नामभिः: by names; with names
• नामभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/instrumental); बहुवचन

• वद: tell; speak
• वद: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु; √वद्)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (imperative); परस्मैपद; मध्यमपुरुष (2nd); एकवचन

• नः: to us
• नः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी (genitive/dative) बहुवचन-एकवचन-रूप (enclitic); 'to us/our'

• सूत: O Sūta
• सूत: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन; एकवचन

• सर्वाणि: all
• सर्वाणि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; बहुवचन; विशेषण (agreeing with एतानि)

• एतानि: these (things)
• एतानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• विस्तरात्: in detail
• विस्तरात्: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विस्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावार्थे तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb); 'विस्तरेण/विस्तरात्' = in detail

Speaker

Ṛṣis (addressing Sūta)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sūta

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sages lean forward as Sūta prepares to recite a long list; a scroll unfurls showing columns: grāma, tīrtha, naga, sarit; behind them a stylized regional map emerges.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Accurate naming and remembrance of sacred places is itself part of dharma, enabling correct pilgrimage practice and transmission of tīrtha-knowledge.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse calls for a comprehensive catalogue; individual sites begin to be specified immediately afterward.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; it requests detailed identification that supports later rites like snāna, darśana, and pradakṣiṇā.