Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

अथ तं बालभावेन कौतुकाद्ब्रह्मचारिणः । चिरं दृष्ट्वाऽब्रवीद्वाक्यं वसिष्ठो मुनिपुंगवः

Transliteration

atha taṃ bālabhāvena kautukādbrahmacāriṇaḥ | ciraṃ dṛṣṭvā'bravīdvākyaṃ vasiṣṭho munipuṃgavaḥ

Translation

ତାପରେ ମୁନିପୁଙ୍ଗବ ବଶିଷ୍ଠ ଶିଶୁସୁଲଭ ଭାବରେ ଓ କୌତୁକରେ ସେ ବ୍ରହ୍ମଚାରୀକୁ ଦୀର୍ଘ ସମୟ ଦେଖି ଏହି ବଚନ କହିଲେ।

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भसूचक (particle: then/now)

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karman (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• बालभावेन: with/owing to childishness
• बालभावेन: Karaṇa/Hetu (Manner/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल-भाव (प्रातिपदिक; बाल + भाव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; हेतौ/प्रकारे (instrumental of manner/cause)

• कौतुकात्: out of curiosity
• कौतुकात्: Hetu (Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौतुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थ (ablative of cause)

• ब्रह्मचारिणः: of the brahmacārin (celibate student)
• ब्रह्मचारिणः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मचारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• चिरम्: for a long time
• चिरम्: Kālādhi-kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Temporal modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चिरम् (अव्यय/नपुंसक-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत्; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of time: for long)

• दृष्ट्वा: having observed
• दृष्ट्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund)

• अब्रवीत्: said
• अब्रवीत्: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• वाक्यम्: a statement
• वाक्यम्: Karman (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• वसिष्ठः: Vasiṣṭha
• वसिष्ठः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• मुनिपुङ्गवः: the foremost of sages
• मुनिपुङ्गवः: Karta (Subject apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि-पुङ्गव (प्रातिपदिक; मुनि + पुङ्गव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; उपाधि/विशेष्य (appositional epithet of वसिष्ठः)

Speaker

Narrator (introducing Vasiṣṭha’s speech)

Characters & Entities

• Vasiṣṭha
• brahmacārin

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the greatest sages carefully observe before advising; dharma is applied with discernment and compassionate attention.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The larger section is a tīrthamāhātmya, but this verse itself is narrative setup and does not name a specific pilgrimage site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it introduces a sage’s observation and forthcoming counsel.