Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 56

Devanagari script

एतस्मिन्नंतरे प्राप्तो नारदो मुनिसत्तमः । शक्रं प्राह समागत्य विश्वेदेवाऽभिकांक्षिणम्

Transliteration

etasminnaṃtare prāpto nārado munisattamaḥ | śakraṃ prāha samāgatya viśvedevā'bhikāṃkṣiṇam

Translation

इतक्यात मुनिश्रेष्ठ नारद आले; विश्वेदेवांच्या दर्शनाची उत्कंठा असलेल्या शक्राजवळ जाऊन ते बोलले।

Word by Word

• etasmin: in this
• etasmin: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (सर्वनाम), सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन — ‘एतस्मिन्’

• antare: in the interval
• antare: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: antara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन — ‘अन्तरे’ (in the interval)

• prāptaḥ: arrived
• prāptaḥ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prāpta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √āp + pra)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP) — ‘प्राप्तः’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेष-भावे ‘arrived’

• nāradaḥ: Nārada
• nāradaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nārada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — ‘नारदः’

• munisattamaḥ: best of sages
• munisattamaḥ: Apposition (विशेष्य-विशेषणभाव)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक) + sattama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी: मुनीनां सत्तमः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• śakram: Śakra (Indra)
• śakram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śakra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — ‘शक्रम्’

• prāha: said
• prāha: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ah (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — ‘प्राह’ (said)

• samāgatya: having come
• samāgatya: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sam-ā-gam (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) — ‘समागत्य’ = having come

• viśvedevābhikāṅkṣiṇam: desiring the Viśvedevas
• viśvedevābhikāṅkṣiṇam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: viśvedeva (प्रातिपदिक) + abhikāṅkṣin (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √kāṅkṣ + abhi)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कर्मधारय/उपपदभाव: ‘viśvedevān abhikāṅkṣati’); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — शक्रम् विशेषयति

Speaker

Purāṇic narrator (contextual narrator in Tīrtha-māhātmya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nārada arrives mid-rite, vīṇā in hand, approaching Indra who anxiously awaits the Viśvedevas; brāhmaṇas look on as the messenger-sage begins to speak.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Śakra (Indra)
• Viśvedevas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When dharma is uncertain, guidance arrives—often through a sage who clarifies the unseen causes.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative remains within the Gayā tīrtha-māhātmya setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse implies the necessity of Viśvedevas’ presence/acknowledgment before proceeding with śrāddha.