Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 56

Devanagari script

अथ तात समालोक्य तेषां मध्यगतो मुनिः । वसिष्ठस्तान्मुनीन्सर्वान्प्रोवाच प्रहसन्निव

Transliteration

atha tāta samālokya teṣāṃ madhyagato muniḥ | vasiṣṭhastānmunīnsarvānprovāca prahasanniva

Translation

അപ്പോൾ, പിതാവേ, അവരുടെ മദ്ധ്യേ നിന്നിരുന്ന മുനി വസിഷ്ഠൻ അവരെ നോക്കി, പുഞ്ചിരിയോടെപോലെ, എല്ലാ മുനിമാരോടും പറഞ്ഞു।

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अनन्तरार्थक (then/thereupon)

• तात: O dear (son)
• तात: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• समालोक्य: having looked at/observed
• समालोक्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-लोक् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund)

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन

• मध्यगतः: having gone into the midst
• मध्यगतः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक) + गत (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन; सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषः ‘मध्यं गतः’

• मुनिः: the sage
• मुनिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• वसिष्ठः: Vasiṣṭha
• वसिष्ठः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• तान्: those (them)
• तान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन

• मुनीन्: sages
• मुनीन्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन

• सर्वान्: all
• सर्वान्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन

• प्रोवाच: said, addressed
• प्रोवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र- वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• प्रहसन्: smiling/laughing
• प्रहसन्: Karta (Agent as participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-हस् (धातु) + प्रहसत् (कृदन्त, शतृ)
• Form: वर्तमान कृदन्त (present active participle, शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• इव: as if
• इव: Sambandha (Comparison)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, उपमानबोधक (comparative particle)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (continuing narration)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: his father

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vasiṣṭha stands among a gathered circle of sages, turning his gaze across them with a faint smile, preparing to speak; the atmosphere shifts from blessing to impending revelation.

Characters & Entities

• Vasiṣṭha
• sages (munis)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True wisdom guides even the wise—elders may correct a situation with calm clarity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not identified in this verse; the focus is on rishi dialogue within the māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it introduces Vasiṣṭha’s speech.