Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

विश्वामित्र उवाच । एतत्ते सर्वमाख्यातं यत्पृष्टोऽस्मि नराधिप । बालमंडनमाहात्म्यं सर्वपातकनाशनम्

Transliteration

viśvāmitra uvāca | etatte sarvamākhyātaṃ yatpṛṣṭo'smi narādhipa | bālamaṃḍanamāhātmyaṃ sarvapātakanāśanam

Translation

विश्वामित्र म्हणाले—हे नराधिप, तू विचारलेले सर्व मी सांगितले. हे बालमण्डनाचे माहात्म्य सर्व पातकांचा नाश करणारे आहे.

Word by Word

• विश्वामित्रः: Viśvāmitra
• विश्वामित्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśvāmitra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन (Singular)

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); एतत्-समन्वय

• आख्यातम्: has been told
• आख्यातम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√khyā (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (PPP/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); कर्मणि प्रयोग (told/declared)

• यत्: which
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• पृष्टः: (I) was asked
• पृष्टः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पृच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (PPP/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• अस्मि: am
• अस्मि: Kriya (Copula/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• नराधिप: O king (lord of men)
• नराधिप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara-adhipa (प्रातिपदिक; नर + अधिप)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुष (नराणाम् अधिपः)

• बालमण्डनमाहात्म्यम्: the glory of Bālamaṇḍana
• बालमण्डनमाहात्म्यम्: Karma/Topic (Object/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bāla-maṇḍana-māhātmya (प्रातिपदिक; बाल + मण्डन + माहात्म्य)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• सर्वपातकनाशनम्: destroyer of all sins
• सर्वपातकनाशनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva-pātaka-nāśana (प्रातिपदिक; सर्व + पातक + नाशन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुष (सर्वेषां पातकानां नाशनम्)

Speaker

Viśvāmitra

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bālamaṇḍana

Type: tirtha

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nara-adhipa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viśvāmitra addresses the king, concluding the account: the greatness of Bālamaṇḍana is declared as destroyer of all sins; the king listens with reverence.

Characters & Entities

• Viśvāmitra
• Narādhipa (King)
• Bālamaṇḍana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Listening to and undertaking tīrtha-related dharma is portrayed as a powerful means of purification and moral renewal.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Bālamaṇḍana (Bālamaṇḍana Tīrtha) is explicitly praised.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No single rite is specified in this verse; it summarizes the māhātmya as sin-destroying.