Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

नारद उवाच । पंचायतनसंज्ञेयं कस्योक्ता सा कथं भवेत् । कथं पूजा च कर्तव्या विस्तरेणाशु तद्वद

Transliteration

nārada uvāca | paṃcāyatanasaṃjñeyaṃ kasyoktā sā kathaṃ bhavet | kathaṃ pūjā ca kartavyā vistareṇāśu tadvada

Translation

ନାରଦ କହିଲେ— ‘ପଞ୍ଚାୟତନ’ ବୋଲି କ’ଣ ବୁଝାଯାଏ? ଏହା କିଏ କହିଛନ୍ତି, ଏବଂ କିପରି ଏହାକୁ ବୁଝିବା ଉଚିତ? ତଥା ପୂଜା କିପରି କରିବାକୁ ହେବ? ଦୟାକରି ଶୀଘ୍ର ବିସ୍ତାରରେ କହନ୍ତୁ।

Word by Word

• नारदः: Nārada
• नारदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• पंचायतनसंज्ञेयम्: to be termed ‘pañcāyatana’
• पंचायतनसंज्ञेयम्: Karma/Predicate-adjective (कर्म/विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च + आयतन + संज्ञेय (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd: Nominative/Accusative), एकवचन; कृदन्तः—तव्यत्/यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (संज्ञेय = ‘to be called/known’); समासः—तत्पुरुष (पञ्चायतनस्य संज्ञेयम्)

• कस्य: of whom, by whom
• कस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम

• उक्ता: said, stated
• उक्ता: Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle)

• सा: that (she/it)
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• भवेत्: would be, should be
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• पूजा: worship
• पूजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• कर्तव्या: to be done, should be performed
• कर्तव्या: Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + तव्य (कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive: ‘to be done’)

• विस्तरेण: in detail
• विस्तरेण: Karana (Manner/Means—करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विस्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणभावे (adverbial instrumental)

• आशु: quickly
• आशु: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आशु (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time/quickly)

• तत्: that (matter)
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• वद: tell, speak
• वद: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Nārada

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nārada, with vīṇā, respectfully questioning a sage about pañcāyatana—its definition, origin, and worship method—setting up a detailed exposition.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Pañcāyatana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sincere inquiry into right practice is itself part of dharma; clarity about worship methods is valued in Purāṇic teaching.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

No site is named in this verse; it continues the Cāturmāsya discourse embedded in the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A request for the detailed method (vidhi) of pañcāyatana pūjā; the prescription follows in subsequent verses.