Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । स तथेति प्रतिज्ञाय गतश्चादर्शनं रविः । दीपवद्ब्राह्मणश्रेष्ठास्तदद्भुतमिवा भवत्

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | sa tatheti pratijñāya gataścādarśanaṃ raviḥ | dīpavadbrāhmaṇaśreṣṭhāstadadbhutamivā bhavat

Translation

ସୂତ କହିଲେ— ‘ତଥାସ୍ତୁ’ ବୋଲି ପ୍ରତିଜ୍ଞା କରି ରବି (ସୂର୍ଯ୍ୟ) ତେବେ ଦୃଷ୍ଟିରୁ ଅଦୃଶ୍ୟ ହେଲେ। ହେ ବ୍ରାହ୍ମଣଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠମାନେ, ତାହା ଦୀପ ହଠାତ୍ ନିଭିଯିବା ପରି ଅଦ୍ଭୁତ ଲାଗିଲା।

Word by Word

• sūtaḥ: Sūta (the narrator)
• sūtaḥ: Karta (Speaker/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• tathā: thus / so
• tathā: Avyaya (Modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• iti: thus (quoting)
• iti: Avyaya (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इति-शब्दः (quotative particle)

• pratijñāya: having promised
• pratijñāya: Kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prati-√jñā (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable), ‘having promised’

• gataḥ: gone
• gataḥ: Karta (Predicate participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Avyaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• adarśanam: disappearance / becoming unseen
• adarśanam: Karma (Object/Goal state)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adarśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• raviḥ: the Sun
• raviḥ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ravi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• dīpavat: like a lamp
• dīpavat: Visheshana (Adverbial qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dīpa + vat (प्रातिपदिक; मतुप्/वत्-सदृश-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्ययवत्-रूप (indeclinable-like comparative), उपमान (simile marker)

• brāhmaṇaśreṣṭhāḥ: the best of the Brahmins
• brāhmaṇaśreṣṭhāḥ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa + śreṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (brāhmaṇānāṃ śreṣṭhāḥ)

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (context: object)

• adbhutam: wonderful / astonishing
• adbhutam: Karma (Object complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: adbhuta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• iva: as if / like
• iva: Avyaya (Comparator)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमा-सूचक (simile particle)

• abhavat: became / happened
• abhavat: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

Speaker

Sūta

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas/ṛṣis (addressed as brāhmaṇa-śreṣṭhāḥ)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta narrates as the Sun, having assented, suddenly disappears; the sky dims as if a lamp were snuffed, while brāhmaṇas stand astonished.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Ravi (Sūrya)
• Nāgarāditya (by immediate context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine grace at tīrthas can manifest as extraordinary events, strengthening faith and confirming the sanctity of the installation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Sarasvatī-tīra temple setting connected with Nāgarāditya, within the Nāgara Khaṇḍa’s tīrtha narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; it seals the boon narrative with a phala-oriented miracle confirming the deity’s acceptance.