Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 70

Devanagari script

वर्षेवर्षे सदा प्राप्ते नूनं त्वं वेत्सि कारणम् । रहस्यं यदि ते न स्यात्तद्ब्रवीहि नराधिप

Transliteration

varṣevarṣe sadā prāpte nūnaṃ tvaṃ vetsi kāraṇam | rahasyaṃ yadi te na syāttadbravīhi narādhipa

Translation

Oleh sebab tuanku datang tanpa gagal tahun demi tahun, tentu tuanku mengetahui sebabnya. Jika hal itu bukan rahsia bagi tuanku, maka nyatakanlah, wahai pemerintah manusia.

Word by Word

• वर्षे: in the year
• वर्षे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे (locative of time: 'in the year')

• वर्षे: year after year
• वर्षे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (reduplication)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• प्राप्ते: when (it) has arrived
• प्राप्ते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राप्त (कृदन्त; √प्राप् धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; 'प्राप्ते (काले)'—सप्तमी absolute-like time reference

• नूनम्: surely
• नूनम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नूनम् (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (particle of certainty)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, उत्तमपुरुषार्थे (2nd person), प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• वेत्सि: know
• वेत्सि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √विद् (धातु; वेद/विद्)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन

• कारणम्: the reason
• कारणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• रहस्यम्: the secret
• रहस्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रहस्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; अत्र कर्मरूपेण (as object of 'bravīhi')

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Clause linker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक-अव्यय (conditional conjunction)

• ते: to you / of you
• ते: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन (genitive: 'of you/for you')

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation particle)

• स्यात्: should be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; 'that (secret)'

• ब्रवीहि: tell (me)
• ब्रवीहि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन

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

Speaker

Ṛṣis (sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sages press gently for the reason behind the king’s yearly arrival; the king stands as a habitual pilgrim, travel-worn yet devoted, with temple banners suggesting a recurring festival season.

Characters & Entities

• Annual pilgrimage
• King (narādhipa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Regular, yearly return to a sacred place implies a purposeful vow; dharma invites transparent sharing when asked by the wise.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A Nāgarakhaṇḍa tīrtha connected to a Śiva-liṅga and vigil observance; the name is not in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No new ritual is prescribed; the verse emphasizes recurring annual observance (a repeated vrata/pilgrimage).