Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

राजन्पृच्छामहे सर्वे त्वां वयं कौतुकान्विताः । तस्मात्कीर्तय चेद्गुह्यं न तत्तव व्यवस्थितम्

Transliteration

rājanpṛcchāmahe sarve tvāṃ vayaṃ kautukānvitāḥ | tasmātkīrtaya cedguhyaṃ na tattava vyavasthitam

Translation

‘ഹേ രാജാവേ, ഞങ്ങൾ എല്ലാവരും കൗതുകത്തോടെ നിങ്ങളോട് ചോദിക്കുന്നു; അതിനാൽ ഇത് നിങ്ങള്ക്ക് മാത്രം സൂക്ഷിക്കേണ്ട രഹസ്യമല്ലെങ്കിൽ, ദയവായി പ്രസ്താവിക്കണം.’

Word by Word

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• पृच्छामहे: we ask
• पृच्छामहे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + छ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st), बहुवचन, आत्मनेपद

• सर्वे: all (of us)
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; वयम् इति विशेषण-भावेन

• त्वाम्: you
• त्वाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• वयम्: we
• वयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• कौतुकान्विताः: filled with curiosity
• कौतुकान्विताः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कौतुक + अन्वित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कौतुकम् अन्विताः = endowed with curiosity); भूतकालिक-कृदन्त ‘अन्वित’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu/Reason marker (कारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तस्मात् (अव्यय/तद्-प्रयोग)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रयोग (ablatival adverb) ‘therefore/from that’

• कीर्तय: tell/declare
• कीर्तय: Kriya (Command/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कीर्तय् (धातु-नामधातु, √कीर्त्/कीर्ति-प्रेरण)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• चेत्: if
• चेत्: Discourse particle (condition/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चेत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, शर्तार्थक (conditional particle ‘if’)

• गुह्यम्: the secret
• गुह्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुह्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (negation particle)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta/Topic (विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; वाक्ये विषय-निर्देश (that matter)

• तव: of you/your
• तव: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• व्यवस्थितम्: is not fixed/settled (for you)
• व्यवस्थितम्: Karta complement (विषय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + अव + स्था (धातु) → व्यवस्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकालिक-कृदन्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘fixed/settled/established’ (तत् इति विशेषण)

Speaker

Brāhmaṇa sages (dvija-sattamas) addressing the king

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A senior brāhmaṇa addresses the king with a gentle but earnest gesture, asking him to narrate something—provided it is not a guarded secret; the king listens attentively.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa sages
• King (Citraratha implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred knowledge is shared through proper channels—respectful inquiry and responsible disclosure.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Indirectly, the Devī’s tīrtha: the conversation arises within the temple milieu that motivates the king’s repeated visits.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it requests explanation of the king’s devotional practice.