Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

नारद उवाच । अथ ते ददृशुः पार्थ संयमस्थं महामुनिम् । कूर्माख्यानंनामैकादशोऽध्यायः

Transliteration

nārada uvāca | atha te dadṛśuḥ pārtha saṃyamasthaṃ mahāmunim | kūrmākhyānaṃnāmaikādaśo'dhyāyaḥ

Translation

ନାରଦ କହିଲେ—ତେବେ, ହେ ପୃଥାପୁତ୍ର, ସେମାନେ ସଂୟମରେ ସ୍ଥିତ ସେଇ ମହାମୁନିଙ୍କୁ ଦେଖିଲେ। (ଏଠାରେ ‘କୂର୍ମାଖ୍ୟାନ’ ନାମକ ଏକାଦଶ ଅଧ୍ୟାୟ ସମାପ୍ତ।)

Word by Word

• नारदः: Narada
• नारदः: Karta (Speaker/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रमसूचक/अनन्तरार्थक (then/thereupon)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (contextual), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• ददृशुः: saw
• ददृशुः: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), परस्मैपद

• पार्थ: O son of Pṛthā (Pārtha)
• पार्थ: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• संयमस्थम्: situated in restraint/discipline
• संयमस्थम्: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संयम-स्थ (प्रातिपदिक; संयम + स्थ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (qualifier)

• महामुनिम्: the great sage
• महामुनिम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महामुनि (प्रातिपदिक; महा + मुनि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• कूर्माख्यानम्: the narration of the tortoise (Kūrma-episode)
• कूर्माख्यानम्: Visheshya (Title/Name)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूर्म-आख्यान (प्रातिपदिक; कूर्म + आख्यान)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• नाम: named
• नाम: Sambandha (Naming marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नामनिर्देशक (particle indicating ‘named/called’)

• एकादशः: eleventh
• एकादशः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एकादश (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (ordinal sense)

• अध्यायः: chapter
• अध्यायः: Karta/Topic (Heading)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अध्याय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Nārada

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kalāpa-grāma (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārtha (Arjuna)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A restrained great sage appears before travelers; the moment is a quiet revelation—pilgrims pausing as the ascetic stands composed, radiating tapas.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Pārtha (address)
• Mahāmuni
• Kūrma-ākhyāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A true sage is recognized by saṃyama—steady self-restraint—signaling inner mastery rather than outer display.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned; the verse functions as a narrative transition and chapter colophon.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it identifies the sage’s discipline and marks the chapter boundary.