Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । तस्य पीठस्य माहात्म्यं वक्तुं नो शक्यते द्विजाः । सहस्रेणापि वर्षाणां मुखानामयुतैरपि

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | tasya pīṭhasya māhātmyaṃ vaktuṃ no śakyate dvijāḥ | sahasreṇāpi varṣāṇāṃ mukhānāmayutairapi

Translation

സൂതൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഹേ ദ്വിജന്മാരേ, ആ പീഠത്തിന്റെ മഹാത്മ്യം പൂർണ്ണമായി പറയാൻ കഴിയില്ല; ആയിരം വർഷം പറഞ്ഞാലും, അയുതം വായുകളുണ്ടായാലും പോലും കഴിയുകയില്ല.

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta
• सूतः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• तस्य: of that
• तस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• पीठस्य: of the peetha
• पीठस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पीठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• माहात्म्यम्: greatness, glory
• माहात्म्यम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• वक्तुम्: to speak
• वक्तुम्: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (Infinitive), अव्ययवत् प्रयोग

• नः: for us / by us
• नः: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी/षष्ठी-रूप (Dat./Gen.), बहुवचनार्थे; अत्र चतुर्थी (to us)

• शक्यते: is possible
• शक्यते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शक् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन (Singular); कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• द्विजाः: O twice-born (brahmins)
• द्विजाः: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• सहस्रेण: with a thousand
• सहस्रेण: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• वर्षाणाम्: of years
• वर्षाणाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• मुखानाम्: of mouths/faces
• मुखानाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• अयुतैः: with tens of thousands
• अयुतैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अयुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

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

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Citreśvara-pīṭha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvāijāḥ/Ṛṣayaḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta, composed and authoritative, raises a hand in gentle restraint, indicating the immeasurable greatness of Citreśvara; sages listen in awe.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Dvija

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Some tīrthas/pīṭhas are portrayed as so spiritually potent that their merit exceeds the limits of ordinary description, inspiring श्रद्धा (faith) and pilgrimage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A particular pīṭha within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya (the immediate verses continue its praise, though the site-name is not stated in this single śloka).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed here; the verse establishes the incomparable greatness of the pīṭha as the basis for later practices (japa, etc.).