Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

सांब उवाच । तिंगिन्याः किं स्वरूपं च किं प्रमाणं द्विजोत्तम । सर्वं विस्तरतो ब्रूहि ममास्त्यत्र प्रयोजनम्

Transliteration

sāṃba uvāca | tiṃginyāḥ kiṃ svarūpaṃ ca kiṃ pramāṇaṃ dvijottama | sarvaṃ vistarato brūhi mamāstyatra prayojanam

Translation

സാംബൻ പറഞ്ഞു: ഹേ ദ്വിജോത്തമാ! തിംഗിനിയുടെ സ്വരൂപം എന്ത്, അതിന്റെ പ്രമാണം (അളവ്/നിയമം) എന്ത്? എല്ലാം വിശദമായി പറയുക; എനിക്ക് ഇവിടെ ഒരു പ്രയോജനമുണ്ട്.

Word by Word

• सांबः: Sāmba
• सांबः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सांब (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (Nom), एकवचनम्

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• तिंगिन्याः: of Tiṃginī / from Tiṃginī
• तिंगिन्याः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिंगिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, षष्ठी/पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः (Gen/Abl 6th/5th), एकवचनम्

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचनम्; प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम

• स्वरूपम्: nature/form
• स्वरूपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वरूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचनम्

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचनम्; प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम

• प्रमाणम्: measure/extent/authority
• प्रमाणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रमाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचनम्

• द्विजोत्तम: O best of the twice-born
• द्विजोत्तम: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (उत्तमः द्विजः); पुंलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन (Voc), एकवचनम्

• सर्वम्: everything
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (Acc), एकवचनम्

• विस्तरतः: in detail
• विस्तरतः: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विस्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (adverb): 'in detail/at length'

• ब्रूहि: tell (me)
• ब्रूहि: Kriya (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकारः (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुषः (2nd person), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• मम: for me/of me
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Gen), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• अस्ति: there is
• अस्ति: Kriya (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• अत्र: here/in this matter
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देश-अव्यय (locative adverb: here/in this matter)

• प्रयोजनम्: purpose/need
• प्रयोजनम्: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयोजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचनम्

Speaker

Sāmba (son of Jāmbavatī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Tiṃginī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇa (dvijottama)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sāmba, earnest and intent, questions a venerable brāhmaṇa about Tiṃginī’s nature and measure; the setting suggests a pilgrim halt with water, sand, and ritual implements nearby.

Characters & Entities

• Sāmba
• Tiṃginī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A sincere seeker asks for precise, detailed dharma—especially regarding expiation and sacred observance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Tiṃginī is being introduced as a significant tīrtha/observance within this chapter’s tīrtha-māhātmya setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse requests the ‘pramāṇa’ (proper standard/extent) for the Tiṃginī-related rite, which is given in the subsequent verses.