Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । अहं वः कीर्तयिष्यामि कथामेतां पुरातनीम् । कथितां भर्तृयज्ञेन आनर्ताधिपतेः स्वयम्

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | ahaṃ vaḥ kīrtayiṣyāmi kathāmetāṃ purātanīm | kathitāṃ bhartṛyajñena ānartādhipateḥ svayam

Translation

ସୂତ କହିଲେ—ମୁଁ ତୁମମାନଙ୍କୁ ଏହି ପୁରାତନ କଥା କୀର୍ତ୍ତନ କରି କହିବି; ଏହା ସ୍ୱୟଂ ଆନର୍ତ୍ତାଧିପତି ଭର୍ତୃୟଜ୍ଞ ଦ୍ୱାରା କଥିତ।

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta
• सूतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/nominative), एकवचन — ‘Sūta’

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन — ‘said’

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/nominative), एकवचन — ‘I’

• वः: to you
• वः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी (genitive/dative) बहुवचन-रूप — here दत्तसम्प्रदानार्थे चतुर्थी: ‘to you’

• कीर्तयिष्यामि: I will narrate
• कीर्तयिष्यामि: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कीर्तय् (धातु; √कीर्त् causative/णिजन्त)
• Form: लृट् (simple future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन — ‘I shall narrate/proclaim’

• कथाम्: story
• कथाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), एकवचन — ‘story’

• एताम्: this
• एताम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), एकवचन — विशेषण ‘this’ (qualifying कथाम्)

• पुरातनीम्: ancient
• पुरातनीम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुरातन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), एकवचन — विशेषण ‘ancient’ (qualifying कथाम्)

• कथिताम्: told, narrated
• कथिताम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कथित (कृदन्त; √कथ् + क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), एकवचन — क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि विशेषण ‘told’ (qualifying कथाम्)

• भर्तृयज्ञेन: by Bhartṛyajña
• भर्तृयज्ञेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भर्तृयज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक; भर्तृ + यज्ञ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/instrumental), एकवचन — करण: ‘by Bhartṛyajña’

• आनर्ताधिपतेः: of the king of Ānarta
• आनर्ताधिपतेः: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आनर्त + अधिपति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/genitive), एकवचन — ‘of the lord of Ānarta’

• स्वयम्: personally, himself
• स्वयम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/स्वकृत्य)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) — ‘oneself/personally’

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ānarta-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: assembled inquirers (ṛṣis/pilgrims; not individually named here)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta begins speaking, holding a manuscript, announcing he will recount an ancient story as told by Bhartṛyajña, the Ānarta king; listeners sit in attentive silence.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Bhartṛyajña
• Ānarta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic truth is preserved through faithful transmission—an ancient kṣetra-kathā is recounted with named authority and lineage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse introduces the narrative source; the particular tīrtha is elaborated in the ensuing story.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None here; it is the formal beginning of the authoritative narration.