Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

। ऋषय ऊचुः । चमत्कारः कथं राजा मुक्तः कुष्ठेन सूतज । कथं तेन तपस्तप्तं कियत्कालं च भूभुजा

Transliteration

| ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | camatkāraḥ kathaṃ rājā muktaḥ kuṣṭhena sūtaja | kathaṃ tena tapastaptaṃ kiyatkālaṃ ca bhūbhujā

Translation

ଋଷିମାନେ କହିଲେ— ହେ ସୂତପୁତ୍ର! କେମିତି ଅଦ୍ଭୁତ ଘଟଣାରେ ରାଜା କୁଷ୍ଠରୁ ମୁକ୍ତ ହେଲେ? ସେ ଭୂଭୁଜ କିପରି ତପ କଲେ, ଏବଂ କେତେ କାଳ ପର୍ଯ୍ୟନ୍ତ?

Word by Word

• ऋषयः: the sages
• ऋषयः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम् (Nominative plural, masc.)

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्; परस्मैपदम् (3rd pl. perfect)

• चमत्कारः: the wonder
• चमत्कारः: Karma/Viṣaya (Topic of question)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चमत्कार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Nominative singular, masc.)

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Praśna (Interrogative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक क्रियाविशेषण (interrogative adverb “how?”)

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta (Subject of implied verb)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Nominative singular, masc.)

• मुक्तः: was freed
• मुक्तः: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √मुच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; “freed”

• कुष्ठेन: from leprosy
• कुष्ठेन: Karaṇa/Hetu (Cause/affliction)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Instrumental singular, neut.); हेतौ/संबन्धे “with/from leprosy”

• सूतज: O son of the sūta
• सूतज: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक) + ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे सम्बोधन-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सूतस्य जः = son of the charioteer/bard) (Voc. sg. masc.)

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Praśna (Interrogative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक (how?)

• तेन: by him
• तेन: Karta/Karaṇa (Agent/with him)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Instrumental singular, masc.)

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karma (Object of तप्तम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Nom./Acc. sg. neut.)

• तप्तम्: was performed
• तप्तम्: Kriyā (Predicate; with implied ‘अभवत्’)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √तप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; “performed (austerity)”

• कियत्कालम्: for how long a time
• कियत्कालम्: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Duration as object of question)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कियत् (प्रश्न-प्रातिपदिक) + काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः (कियान् कालः) (Acc. sg. masc.)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (and)

• भूभुजा: by the king
• भूभुजा: Karta (Agent in passive sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूभुज् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Instrumental singular, masc.); कर्तृवाचक “by the king”

Speaker

Ṛṣis (sages) addressing Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śaṅkhatīrtha (topic continued)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An assembly of sages seated in a forest hermitage, facing Sūta; their expressions curious and amazed; one sage raises a hand in inquiry; ritual fires and deer-skins in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Ṛṣis (sages)
• Sūta
• king
• kuṣṭha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇas teach through inquiry: seekers ask for the method (sādhana) behind a miracle, not merely the result.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śaṅkhatīrtha remains the central tīrtha under discussion, prompting the sages’ questions.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No prescription here; it requests details about the king’s tapas and the timeline leading to liberation.