Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । तेषां तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा मुनीनां पद्मसंभवः । प्रोवाच प्रहसन्वाक्यं समादाय च बालकम्

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | teṣāṃ tadvacanaṃ śrutvā munīnāṃ padmasaṃbhavaḥ | provāca prahasanvākyaṃ samādāya ca bālakam

Translation

ସୂତ କହିଲେ—ମୁନିମାନଙ୍କ ସେହି ବଚନ ଶୁଣି ପଦ୍ମସମ୍ଭବ (ବ୍ରହ୍ମା) ବାଳକକୁ ସହ ନେଇ, ହସି ହସି ଏହି ବାକ୍ୟ କହିଲେ।

Word by Word

• sūtaḥ: Sūta
• sūtaḥ: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — 'said'

• teṣām: of them
• teṣām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, बहुवचन — 'of them'

• tat: that
• tat: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — 'that' (qualifying vacanam)

• vacanam: statement
• vacanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vacana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन — 'speech/statement'

• śrutvā: having heard
• śrutvā: Kriya (Gerundial action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śru (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive), अव्ययभाव — 'having heard'

• munīnām: of the sages
• munīnām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन — 'of sages'

• padma-saṃbhavaḥ: the lotus-born (Brahmā)
• padma-saṃbhavaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: padma (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃbhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थः (padmāt/padmasya saṃbhavaḥ); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — 'lotus-born'

• provāca: said
• provāca: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — 'said forth'

• prahasan: smiling
• prahasan: Karta (Concurrent action/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√has (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ/Present active participle), प्रथमा, पुंलिङ्ग, एकवचन — 'smiling/laughing' (agreeing with padmasaṃbhavaḥ)

• vākyam: words
• vākyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vākya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — 'words/speech'

• samādāya: having taken
• samādāya: Kriya (Gerundial action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ā-√dā (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive), अव्ययभाव — 'having taken'

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक)

• bālakam: the boy
• bālakam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bālaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa/Ugraśravas), narrator

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta narrates: Brahmā, after hearing the sages, gently lifts or draws the boy close, smiling, preparing to speak a boon.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Brahmā (Padmasaṃbhava)
• munis (sages)
• the boy

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When the righteous appeal with sincerity, the divine responds with compassion and decisive action.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it functions as narrative transition within the Tīrthamāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it describes Brahmā’s response and the narrative setting.