Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

ऋषय ऊचुः । कस्यासौ वटिका तत्र कथं तप्तवती तपः । कस्माद्गृहं परित्यक्त्वा शुकोऽपि वनमाश्रितः

Transliteration

ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | kasyāsau vaṭikā tatra kathaṃ taptavatī tapaḥ | kasmādgṛhaṃ parityaktvā śuko'pi vanamāśritaḥ

Translation

ଋଷିମାନେ କହିଲେ—ସେଠାରେ ସେଇ ବଟିକା କାହାର, ଏବଂ ସେ କିପରି ତପସ୍ୟା କଲେ? ଆଉ କେଉଁ କାରଣରୁ ଶୁକ ମଧ୍ୟ ଘର ଛାଡ଼ି ବନକୁ ଆଶ୍ରୟ କଲେ?

Word by Word

• ऋषयः: sages
• ऋषयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• कस्य: of whom/whose
• कस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• असौ: that (one)
• असौ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; संकेतार्थे (that)

• वटिका: garden/grove
• वटिका: Karta/Prashna-vishaya (Subject of query)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वटिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Prashna (Interrogative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक क्रियाविशेषण (interrogative adverb)

• तप्तवती: (she) performed/undertook (austerity)
• तप्तवती: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप् (धातु) + वत् (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्तवतु-प्रत्ययान्त (past active participle sense), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तपः: austerity/penance
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• कस्मात्: from what reason/why
• कस्मात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• गृहम्: house/home
• गृहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• परित्यक्त्वा: having abandoned
• परित्यक्त्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज् (धातु) + परि- (उपसर्ग)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive); पूर्वक्रिया (having abandoned)

• शुकः: Śuka
• शुकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha/Emphasis (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle: also/even)

• वनम्: forest
• वनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• आश्रितः: resorted to/took refuge in
• आश्रितः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रि (धातु) + आ- (उपसर्ग)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Ṛṣis (Sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sūta (implied as respondent in the next verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A circle of forest-dwelling sages, seated on kuśa grass near a sacred grove (vaṭikā) with banyan and a small hermitage; they question the storyteller about a woman’s austerity and Śuka’s departure to the forest.

Characters & Entities

• Ṛṣis
• Vaṭikā
• Śuka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic teaching advances through inquiry: sincere questions open the way to understanding sacred places, austerity, and renunciation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Vaṭikā connected with Vāṭikeśvara in the described sacred region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; the verse frames questions about tapas and Śuka’s renunciation that the narrative will answer.