Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

मेघगम्भीरया वाचा प्रस्खलंत्या पदेपदे । मया त्वं देवि चाहूता पुलस्त्येन ततः परम्

Transliteration

meghagambhīrayā vācā praskhalaṃtyā padepade | mayā tvaṃ devi cāhūtā pulastyena tataḥ param

Translation

मेघगंभीर वाणीने, शब्दोच्चारात पावलोपावली अडखळत तो म्हणाला—“हे देवि, मीच तुला बोलाविले; त्यानंतर पुलस्त्यानेही (तुला) आह्वान केले।”

Word by Word

• meghagambhīrayā: with a cloud-deep
• meghagambhīrayā: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: megha-gambhīra (प्रातिपदिक; मेघ + गम्भीर)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; विशेषण (vācā)

• vācā: voice
• vācā: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāc (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करण (means)

• praskhalantyā: stumbling (faltering)
• praskhalantyā: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-skhal (धातु)
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; विशेषण (vācā)

• pade: at (each) step/word
• pade: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरण (in each step/word)

• pade: at every step
• pade: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (repetition for distributive sense)

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करण/कर्तृ (by me)

• tvam: you
• tvam: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuṣmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सम्बोधनार्थे (you)

• devi: O goddess
• devi: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; संबोधन

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

• āhūtā: were summoned/called
• āhūtā: Kriya (Passive predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-hū (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (you were called)

• pulastyena: by Pulastya
• pulastyena: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pulastya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; कर्तृ (agent: by Pulastya)

• tataḥ: thereafter
• tataḥ: Sambandha (Sequence/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, ततः = तस्मात्/अनन्तरम् (from that/thereafter)

• param: further / afterwards
• param: Sambandha (Sequence/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: अव्ययप्रयोग (adverbial accusative), ‘further/afterwards’

Speaker

Sūta (narrating; reported speech of Kalipriya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (frame implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kalipriya speaks with a deep, cloud-like voice, words stumbling; his hand half-raised as if pleading, while the goddess/listeners watch; Pulastya’s presence is suggested symbolically (a distant sage silhouette or aura).

Characters & Entities

• Pulastya
• Kalipriya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Speech that falters reveals inner fear; dharmic speech requires clarity, accountability, and reverence when invoking the divine.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative setting remains the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra-māhātmya of Nāgara Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Invocation/summoning is referenced as an action, but no formal mantra, vrata, or procedure is specified in this verse.