Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 10
Devanagari script
निरीहस्यापि देवेंद्र कौतुकं नो व्यवस्थितम्
Transliteration
nirīhasyāpi deveṃdra kautukaṃ no vyavasthitam
Translation
Wahai Dewa Indra, tuan para dewa, bahkan bagi yang tiada keinginan pun, maksud tuanku berada di sini belum jelas bagi kami.
Word by Word
निरीहस्यof the desireless/indifferent one
निरीहस्य:
Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
TypeAdjective
Rootनिरीह (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन — Genitive Singular; विशेषण-प्रयोगः
अपिeven/also
अपि:
Avyaya (Particle/निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअपि (अव्यय)
Formनिपात (particle) — concessive/emphatic
देवेन्द्रO Indra, lord of gods
देवेन्द्र:
Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
TypeNoun
Rootदेवेन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन — Vocative Singular; (देव + इन्द्र) तत्पुरुष
कौतुकम्curiosity/wonder
कौतुकम्:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootकौतुक (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/प्रथमा or 2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Nom./Acc. Singular
नःof us/our
नः:
Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootअस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formषष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन — Genitive Plural (enclitic)
व्यवस्थितम्is settled/established
व्यवस्थितम्:
Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate adjective)
TypeAdjective
Rootवि + अव + स्था (धातु) → व्यवस्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
Formभूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — agreeing with ‘कौतुकम्’
Speaker
Brāhmaṇas/Ṛṣis (addressing Indra), as narrated by Viśvāmitra
Visual Art Cues
Scene: A circle of austere brāhmaṇas, calm and radiant, question Indra about his unclear purpose; Indra stands with subdued splendor, suggesting a hidden mission tied to a sacred site.
Characters & Entities
D
Devendra (Indra)B
Brāhmaṇas/ṚṣisFAQs
Even when a visitor is exalted, sages inquire with discernment; humility and clarity are both dharmic.
The hermitage-tīrtha context in the Himālaya, where divine visits become occasions for dharmic dialogue.
None; the verse is an inquiry that prepares for the explanation of Indra’s purpose.