Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

विश्वामित्र उवाच । अत्र ते कीर्तयिष्यामि पूर्ववृत्तं कथांतरम् । शंखतीर्थस्य माहात्म्यं यथाजातं धरातले

Transliteration

viśvāmitra uvāca | atra te kīrtayiṣyāmi pūrvavṛttaṃ kathāṃtaram | śaṃkhatīrthasya māhātmyaṃ yathājātaṃ dharātale

Translation

വിശ്വാമിത്രൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഇവിടെ ഞാൻ നിനക്ക് മുൻവൃത്തമായ മറ്റൊരു പുണ്യകഥ വിവരിക്കും; ഭൂമിയിൽ ശംഖതീർത്ഥത്തിന്റെ മഹാത്മ്യം എങ്ങനെ ഉദ്ഭവിച്ചുവോ അതുപോലെ.

Word by Word

• विश्वामित्रः: Viśvāmitra
• विश्वामित्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśvāmitra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

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

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी (4th/Dative) एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• कीर्तयिष्यामि: I will recount
• कीर्तयिष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कीर्तय् (नामधातु; कीर्ति-प्रातिपदिकात्)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पूर्ववृत्तम्: the earlier event/account
• पूर्ववृत्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + वृत्त (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्म; कर्मधारयः (पूर्वं वृत्तम्)

• कथान्तरम्: another tale/episode
• कथान्तरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथा (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (कथायाः अन्तरम् = another story/episode)

• शंखतीर्थस्य: of Śaṅkha-tīrtha
• शंखतीर्थस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंख (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (शंखस्य तीर्थम्)

• माहात्म्यम्: glory
• माहात्म्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māhātmya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• यथाजातम्: as it occurred
• यथाजातम्: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + जात (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमास; अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; (यथा जातम् = as it happened/was born)

• धरातले: on the earth’s surface
• धरातले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरा (प्रातिपदिक) + तल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (धरायाः तलम्)

Speaker

Viśvāmitra

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śaṅkhatīrtha

Type: tirtha

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ānarta (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sage Viśvāmitra begins the formal narration, gesturing as if opening an ancient account; the king sits respectfully, the sacred landscape subtly present.

Characters & Entities

• Viśvāmitra
• Śaṅkhatīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrthas are understood through sacred history: their origin-stories reveal their dharmic power and sanctity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śaṅkhatīrtha is explicitly introduced as the focus of the māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it is the formal commencement of the tīrtha’s origin narrative.