Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

कथं स भगवाञ्छेते बिलद्वारे व्यवस्थितः । एतत्कीर्तय कार्त्स्न्येन परं कौतूहलं हि नः

Transliteration

kathaṃ sa bhagavāñchete biladvāre vyavasthitaḥ | etatkīrtaya kārtsnyena paraṃ kautūhalaṃ hi naḥ

Translation

അപ്പോൾ ആ ഭഗവാൻ ഗുഹാദ്വാരത്തിൽ നിലകൊണ്ട് എങ്ങനെ ശയിക്കുന്നു? ഇത് പൂർണ്ണമായി ഞങ്ങൾക്ക് വിവരിക്കൂ; ഞങ്ങളുടെ കൗതുകം അത്യന്തമാണ്.

Word by Word

• कथम्: how?
• कथम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st); एकवचन (Singular)

• भगवान्: the Blessed Lord
• भगवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• शेते: lies, reclines
• शेते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शी (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present); प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person); एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• बिलद्वारे: at the cave-entrance
• बिलद्वारे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बिल + द्वार (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th); एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (बिलस्य द्वारम्)

• व्यवस्थितः: situated, stationed
• व्यवस्थितः: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + अव + स्था (धातु) → व्यवस्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘भगवान्’)

• एतत्: this (matter)
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd); एकवचन

• कीर्तय: tell, recount
• कीर्तय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कीर्तय् (णिजन्त-धातु; √कीर्त्/कीर्)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative); मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person); एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• कार्त्स्न्येन: completely, in full detail
• कार्त्स्न्येन: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्त्स्न्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd); एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे (in the sense of ‘completely’)

• परम्: great, supreme
• परम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘कौतूहलम्’)

• कौतूहलम्: curiosity, wonder
• कौतूहलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौतूहल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle; emphasis/indeed)

• नः: of us, our
• नः: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th); बहुवचन (Plural); एन्क्लिटिक-रूप (enclitic)

Speaker

Ṛṣis (Sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Biladvāra Jalaśāyī (as discussed)

Type: cave

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sūta

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sages leaning forward with raised hands in respectful inquiry, pointing toward the cave entrance; Sūta poised to narrate, with the cave emitting a faint divine glow suggesting an imminent revelation.

Characters & Entities

• Bhagavān (Viṣṇu implied)
• Biladvāra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred-place traditions are validated through detailed narration that connects cosmic theology to local presence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A biladvāra (cave-entrance) locale associated with the resting Lord is the immediate sacred setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a request for complete explanation (kārtsnyena).