Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

नारद उवाच । अथान्यत्संप्रवक्ष्यामि शालामाहात्म्य मुत्तमम् । संस्थापिते पुरा स्थाने प्रोक्तोहं द्विजपुंगवैः

Transliteration

nārada uvāca | athānyatsaṃpravakṣyāmi śālāmāhātmya muttamam | saṃsthāpite purā sthāne proktohaṃ dvijapuṃgavaiḥ

Translation

ନାରଦ କହିଲେ—ଏବେ ମୁଁ ଆଉ ଗୋଟିଏ ଉତ୍ତମ ଆଖ୍ୟାନ କହିବି—ଶାଳାର ମାହାତ୍ମ୍ୟ। ପୂର୍ବେ ପ୍ରତିଷ୍ଠିତ ସେହି ପବିତ୍ର ସ୍ଥାନରେ ଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ ଦ୍ୱିଜମାନେ ମୋତେ ଏହା ଉପଦେଶ ଦେଇଥିଲେ।

Word by Word

• nāradaḥ: Nārada
• nāradaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nārada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; वक्ता (speaker)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• atha: then
• atha: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भसूचक (then/now)

• anyat: another (matter)
• anyat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म (object)

• saṃpravakṣyāmi: I shall explain fully
• saṃpravakṣyāmi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra+vac (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; उपसर्गः सं-, प्र-

• śālāmāhātmyam: the greatness of Śālā
• śālāmāhātmyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śālā-māhātmya (प्रातिपदिक; शाला + माहात्म्य)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म

• uttamam: excellent
• uttamam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying śālāmāhātmyam)

• saṃsthāpite: when (it was) established
• saṃsthāpite: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saṃ+sthā (धातु) → saṃsthāpita (कृदन्त; क्त)
• Form: सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (स्थाने इति सापेक्षम्); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि (past passive participle)

• purā: formerly
• purā: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: purā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (adverb of time)

• sthāne: in the place
• sthāne: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sthāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरणे

• proktaḥ: was told
• proktaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pra+vac (धातु) → prokta (कृदन्त; क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि (past passive participle)

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• dvijapuṃgavaiḥ: by eminent Brahmins
• dvijapuṃgavaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija-puṃgava (प्रातिपदिक; द्विज + पुंगव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; करण/हेतु (agent/instrument in passive)

Speaker

Nārada

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śālā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nārada, vīṇā in hand, addresses an unseen audience, announcing the next sacred narrative; behind him, a stylized ‘Śālā’ sacred precinct—trees forming a natural hall (śālā), with a small shrine and tīrtha water nearby.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Śālā (holy place/topic)
• Dvija-puṅgava (eminent Brāhmaṇas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred place traditions are transmitted through authoritative lineage—Nārada presents a received teaching about a holy site’s greatness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śālā (as a māhātmya topic), introduced as the next sacred-place narration.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it serves as a narrative preface and source attribution.