Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । एवमुक्त्वा चतुर्वक्त्रस्ततश्चादर्शनं गतः । याज्ञवल्क्योऽपि तच्छ्रुत्वा पितामहवचोऽ खिलम्

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | evamuktvā caturvaktrastataścādarśanaṃ gataḥ | yājñavalkyo'pi tacchrutvā pitāmahavaco' khilam

Translation

ସୂତ କହିଲେ—ଏପରି କହି ଚତୁର୍ମୁଖ (ବ୍ରହ୍ମା) ତତ୍ପରେ ଅଦୃଶ୍ୟ ହୋଇଗଲେ। ଯାଜ୍ଞବଲ୍କ୍ୟ ମଧ୍ୟ ପିତାମହଙ୍କ ସମସ୍ତ ବଚନ ପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣରୂପେ ଶୁଣି।

Word by Word

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

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (Speech act/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Manner adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (प्रकारवाचक adverb: ‘thus’)

• उक्त्वा: having spoken
• उक्त्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु) → uktvā (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त्वा/absolutive), अव्यय; ‘having spoken’

• चतुर्वक्त्रः: the four-faced one (Brahmā)
• चतुर्वक्त्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: catur + vaktra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि: चत्वारि वक्त्राणि यस्य (ब्रह्मा)

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kāla-krama (Temporal sequence/कालक्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रम/then, thereafter)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/and)

• अदर्शनम्: out of sight, disappearance
• अदर्शनम्: Gati/Karma (Goal as object/गति-कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adarśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘invisibility/out of sight’ (goal)

• गतः: went
• गतः: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gam (धातु) → gata (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP used predicatively), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘has gone’

• याज्ञवल्क्यः: Yājñavalkya
• याज्ञवल्क्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yājñavalkya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha-sūcaka (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/also)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; श्रुत्वा इति क्रियायाः कर्म

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śru (धातु) → śrutvā (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त्वा/absolutive), अव्यय; ‘having heard’

• पितामह-वचः: the words of the Grandfather (Brahmā)
• पितामह-वचः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitāmaha (प्रातिपदिक) + vacas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (षष्ठी): पितामहस्य वचः

• अखिलम्: entire, all
• अखिलम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: akhila (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; वचः इति विशेषणम्

Speaker

Sūta

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (standard Sūta frame; implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta narrates to assembled sages; Brahmā (four-faced) fades into light, becoming invisible; Yājñavalkya stands or sits in attentive posture, absorbing the teaching; the atmosphere is quiet and authoritative.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Brahmā (Caturvaktra, Pitāmaha)
• Yājñavalkya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Revelatory instruction is followed by responsibility: the listener must now embody the teaching through action.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative continues within the same kṣetra-māhātmya stream; the “uttama kṣetra” remains the focus.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it transitions from divine instruction to Yājñavalkya’s implementation.