Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

पुष्प उवाच । अपरं वद मे देव संदेहं हृदये स्थितम् । यत्त्वां पृच्छामि देवेश तव कीर्तिविवर्धनम्

Transliteration

puṣpa uvāca | aparaṃ vada me deva saṃdehaṃ hṛdaye sthitam | yattvāṃ pṛcchāmi deveśa tava kīrtivivardhanam

Translation

ପୁଷ୍ପ କହିଲା—ହେ ଦେବ, ଆଉ ଗୋଟିଏ କଥା କୁହ; ମୋ ହୃଦୟରେ ଏକ ସନ୍ଦେହ ରହିଛି। ହେ ଦେବେଶ, ମୁଁ ଯାହା ପଚାରୁଛି, ତାହା ତୁମ କୀର୍ତ୍ତିବୃଦ୍ଧି ପାଇଁ।

Word by Word

• puṣpaḥ: Puṣpa
• puṣpaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṣpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

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

• aparam: another (thing)
• aparam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: apara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; (अपरं = other/further matter)

• vada: tell/speak
• vada: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vad (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन

• me: to me
• me: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम

• deva: O god/lord
• deva: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• saṃdeham: doubt
• saṃdeham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃdeha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• hṛdaye: in (my) heart
• hṛdaye: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hṛdaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• sthitam: situated/remaining
• sthitam: Karma (Object-Qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sthita (कृदन्त; √sthā धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा एकवचन; संदेहम् इति पदस्य विशेषणम्

• yat: which (that)
• yat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक-यत् (relative pronoun)

• tvām: you
• tvām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम

• pṛcchāmi: I ask
• pṛcchāmi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prach (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन

• deveśa: O Lord of gods
• deveśa: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक) + īśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (lord of gods)

• tava: your
• tava: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• kīrti-vivardhanam: (that which is) an increase of (your) fame
• kīrti-vivardhanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kīrti (प्रातिपदिक) + vivardhana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (that which increases fame)

Speaker

Puṣpa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Deveśa (Bhāskara/Sūrya in context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Puṣpa, hands folded, expresses a heartfelt doubt to the deity, explicitly stating the question is meant to enhance the deity’s fame; the deity listens with calm authority.

Characters & Entities

• Puṣpa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True inquiry is framed as devotion: doubts are resolved not for ego, but to honor the deity and strengthen dharmic understanding.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it transitions the narrative from siddhi to a vow/ritual question.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it introduces a forthcoming question that leads into Saptamī/Sūrya-related practice.