Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 57

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कंडेय उवाच । मत्तोपि त्वं चिरायुश्च यतो मित्रं व्यवस्थितः । इन्द्रद्युम्नो महीपालस्त्वया दृष्टः श्रुतोऽथवा

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṃḍeya uvāca | mattopi tvaṃ cirāyuśca yato mitraṃ vyavasthitaḥ | indradyumno mahīpālastvayā dṛṣṭaḥ śruto'thavā

Translation

ശ്രീ മാർക്കണ്ഡേയൻ പറഞ്ഞു—മിത്രഭാവത്തിൽ സ്ഥിരനായതിനാൽ നീ എനിക്കിലും ദീർഘായുസ്സുള്ളവൻ. ഇന്ദ്രദ്യുമ്ന മഹീപാലനെ നീ കണ്ടിട്ടുണ്ടോ, അല്ലെങ്കിൽ കുറഞ്ഞപക്ഷം അവനെക്കുറിച്ച് കേട്ടിട്ടുണ്ടോ?

Word by Word

• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: the venerable Mārkaṇḍeya
• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री + मार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (श्रीमान् मार्कण्डेयः)

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

• मत्तः: than me / from me
• मत्तः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• अपि: even, also
• अपि: Sambandha (Qualifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: also/even)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• चिरायुः: long-lived
• चिरायुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चिर + आयुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (चिरं आयुः यस्य)

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

• यतः: since, because
• यतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यतस् (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतुवाचक-अव्यय (causal adverb: since/because)

• मित्रम्: friend
• मित्रम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन; अत्र प्रथमा (predicate/सम्बन्ध)

• व्यवस्थितः: steadfast, established
• व्यवस्थितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + अव + स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• इन्द्रद्युम्नः: Indradyumna
• इन्द्रद्युम्नः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्रद्युम्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• महीपालः: king (protector of the earth)
• महीपालः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही + पाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (महीम् पालयति)

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• दृष्टः: seen
• दृष्टः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (PPP used predicatively), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• श्रुतः: heard of
• श्रुतः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (PPP used predicatively), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अथवा: or
• अथवा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथवा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (disjunctive: or)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Baka-āśrama (Himācala)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mārkaṇḍeya speaks gently to Baka, acknowledging his greater longevity and friendship, then asks about King Indradyumna; the king stands nearby, attentive.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Baka
• Indradyumna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred history and dharmic narratives are preserved through long-lived sages and trustworthy testimony.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it advances the inquiry central to the surrounding tīrtha narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a question seeking authoritative knowledge.