Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 210

Devanagari script

राजोवाच । रहस्यं परमं चैव यत्पृष्टोऽहं द्विजोत्तमाः । युष्माभिः कीर्तयिष्यामि तथाप्यखिलमेव हि

Transliteration

rājovāca | rahasyaṃ paramaṃ caiva yatpṛṣṭo'haṃ dvijottamāḥ | yuṣmābhiḥ kīrtayiṣyāmi tathāpyakhilameva hi

Translation

രാജാവ് പറഞ്ഞു—ഹേ ദ്വിജോത്തമന്മാരേ! നിങ്ങൾ എന്നോട് ചോദിച്ച പരമ രഹസ്യം ഞാൻ നിങ്ങള്ക്കായി പ്രസ്താവിക്കും; തീർച്ചയായും എല്ലാം പൂർണ്ണമായി വിവരിക്കും.

Word by Word

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• रहस्यम्: secret
• रहस्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रहस्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• परमम्: supreme, highest
• परमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; विशेषण

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

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपात (emphatic particle)

• यत्: which (that)
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम

• पृष्टः: (I) was asked
• पृष्टः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-छ्/पृच्छ् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगः

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• द्विजोत्तमाः: O best of the twice-born
• द्विजोत्तमाः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन/प्रथमा (8/1), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषभावः (द्विजेषु उत्तमाः)

• युष्माभिः: by you
• युष्माभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• कीर्तयिष्यामि: I will proclaim
• कीर्तयिष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कीर्तय् (धातु; णिजन्त from कीर्त्/कीर्ति)
• Form: लृट् (भविष्यत्काल/Future), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• तथापि: nevertheless
• तथापि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा + अपि (अव्यय-समुच्चय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/अपवादबोधक (concessive: nevertheless)

• अखिलम्: entire, whole
• अखिलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अखिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; विशेषण

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपात

• हि: for/indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात; हेत्वर्थ/खल्वर्थ (for, indeed)

Speaker

Rājā (the King)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijottamāḥ (brāhmaṇas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king, seated formally, addresses a group of brāhmaṇas; his right hand raised in a gesture of assurance as he promises to reveal a supreme secret.

Characters & Entities

• Rājā
• Dvijottama (Brāhmaṇas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred knowledge about tīrthas is treated as a ‘supreme secret’ and should be transmitted fully and responsibly to worthy listeners.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse functions as a transition into the forthcoming tīrtha-rahasya; the specific site is clarified in the surrounding narrative of the Tīrthamāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed in this verse; it introduces an authoritative narration that will typically include snāna, dāna, and tīrtha-sevā in subsequent verses.