Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 49

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । तेषां तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा भगवान्बृषभध्वजः । प्रोवाच प्रणतान्सर्वांस्तान्देवान्व्रीडयान्वितः

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | teṣāṃ tadvacanaṃ śrutvā bhagavānbṛṣabhadhvajaḥ | provāca praṇatānsarvāṃstāndevānvrīḍayānvitaḥ

Translation

ସୂତ କହିଲେ—ସେମାନଙ୍କ କଥା ଶୁଣି, ବୃଷଭଧ୍ୱଜ ଭଗବାନ, ନିଜ ସମ୍ମୁଖରେ ପ୍ରଣତ ଥିବା ସେହି ସମସ୍ତ ଦେବମାନଙ୍କୁ ଲଜ୍ଜାମିଶ୍ରିତ ସଂକୋଚରେ କହିଲେ।

Word by Word

• sūtaḥ: Sūta
• sūtaḥ: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (वच् धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• teṣām: of them
• teṣām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम-विशेषण, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (to vacanam)

• vacanam: speech, words
• vacanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vacana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• śrutvā: having heard
• śrutvā: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √śru (श्रु धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive): 'having heard'

• bhagavān: the Blessed Lord
• bhagavān: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhagavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• bṛṣabhadhvajaḥ: he whose banner is the bull (Śiva)
• bṛṣabhadhvajaḥ: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bṛṣabha (प्रातिपदिक) + dhvaja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि (yasya dhvajaḥ bṛṣabhaḥ)

• provāca: spoke, said
• provāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + √vac (वच् धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• praṇatān: bowed down, prostrated
• praṇatān: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pra + √nam (नम् धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (to devān)

• sarvān: all
• sarvān: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (to devān)

• tān: those
• tān: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम-विशेषण, पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (to devān)

• devān: gods
• devān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• vrīḍayā: with shame/modesty
• vrīḍayā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vrīḍā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• anvitaḥ: endowed with, accompanied by
• anvitaḥ: Karta (Predicative to subject/कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anu + √i (इ धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (to bhagavān)

Speaker

Sūta (narrator)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: (Primary) Śaunaka and other ṛṣis in the broader Purāṇic frame (implied); (Immediate) audience of the māhātmya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A calm assembly: devas prostrate; Śiva with bull-banner, slightly averted gaze suggesting modesty, then speaking; the narrator’s presence implied as a sage reciting to listeners.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Śiva (Vṛṣabhadhvaja)
• Devāḥ

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic teaching often proceeds through humble dialogue: even the Supreme responds with restraint, modeling dignity and emotional truth.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is a narrative hinge within the Tīrthamāhātmya; the tīrtha’s sanctity is tied to Śiva’s Liṅga and the divine discourse around it.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it introduces Śiva’s explanation that grounds later devotional practice.