Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मोवाच । कार्तिकेयश्च पार्वत्याः प्राणेभ्यश्चातिवल्लभः । संक्रीडति समीपस्थो नानाचेष्टाभिरुद्यतः

Transliteration

brahmovāca | kārtikeyaśca pārvatyāḥ prāṇebhyaścātivallabhaḥ | saṃkrīḍati samīpastho nānāceṣṭābhirudyataḥ

Translation

Brahmā bersabda: Kārtikeya—yang lebih dikasihi Pārvatī daripada nafas kehidupannya sendiri—bermain di dekatnya, lincah dengan pelbagai gerak-geri dan kegiatan.

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; वक्ता-निर्देश (speaker tag)

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

• कार्तिकेयः: Kārttikeya
• कार्तिकेयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्तिकेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• पार्वत्याः: of Pārvatī
• पार्वत्याः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्वती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• प्राणेभ्यः: than (her) life-breaths; more than life
• प्राणेभ्यः: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• अतिवल्लभः: exceedingly beloved
• अतिवल्लभः: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अति (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + वल्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (superlative sense: exceedingly dear)

• संक्रीडति: plays, sports
• संक्रीडति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्रीड् (धातु) + सम् (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• समीपस्थः: standing nearby
• समीपस्थः: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समीप (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (समीपे स्थितः)

• नाना: various
• नाना: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नाना (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक-प्रयोग)
• Form: अव्यय-विशेषण (indeclinable adjective)

• चेष्टाभिः: with actions/gestures
• चेष्टाभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चेष्टा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• उद्यतः: active, engaged
• उद्यतः: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उद् (उपसर्ग) + यत (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय; यत् धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (ready/engaged)

Speaker

Brahmā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā narrates while nearby Kārttikeya plays close to Pārvatī, animated with many gestures; the scene is domestic-divine, set in a sacred precinct or grove.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Kārtikeya (Skanda)
• Pārvatī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇas portray divine play (līlā) as sacred, inviting devotion through intimate, affectionate images of the deity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The larger narrative stream belongs to Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra Māhātmya within Nāgara Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is narrative description introducing Kārtikeya’s presence and activity.