Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

राजोवाच सत्यमेतद्द्विजश्रेष्ठा यद्भवद्भिरुदाहृतम् । रहस्यमपि वक्तव्यं युष्माकं सांप्रतं मया

Transliteration

rājovāca satyametaddvijaśreṣṭhā yadbhavadbhirudāhṛtam | rahasyamapi vaktavyaṃ yuṣmākaṃ sāṃprataṃ mayā

Translation

ରାଜା କହିଲେ—ହେ ଦ୍ୱିଜଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠମାନେ, ଆପଣମାନେ ଯାହା କହିଛନ୍ତି ତାହା ସତ୍ୟ। ଏବେ ଆପଣମାନଙ୍କ ସମ୍ବନ୍ଧୀୟ ଗୋଟିଏ ରହସ୍ୟ ମଧ୍ୟ ମୁଁ କହିବି।

Word by Word

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect/लिट्), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सत्यम्: true
• सत्यम्: Pradhana-visheshya (Predicate complement/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; वाक्यविधेय (predicate nominal)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karta (Logical subject of ‘सत्यम्’/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘this’

• द्विजश्रेष्ठाः: O best of the twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विजश्रेष्ठाः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), बहुवचन; ‘श्रेष्ठाः’ इति प्रधान

• यत्: which
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक—(एतत्)

• भवद्भिः: by you (honorific)
• भवद्भिः: Karana/Karta (Agent in passive sense/कर्तृ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; आदरार्थे ‘you’

• उदाहृतम्: has been stated
• उदाहृतम्: Kriya (Predicate in passive/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्-आ-हृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे

• रहस्यम्: a secret
• रहस्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रहस्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Visheshana (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अप्यर्थे (also/even)

• वक्तव्यम्: should be told
• वक्तव्यम्: Kriya (Obligation predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/obligative); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘to be said/should be told’

• युष्माकम्: to you / of you
• युष्माकम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन

• सांप्रतम्: now
• सांप्रतम्: Desha-kala-adhikarana (Temporal/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सांप्रतम् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (now/at present)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

Speaker

Rājā (the king)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Devī-āyatana (name not specified)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvija-śreṣṭhas (brāhmaṇas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king addresses assembled brāhmaṇas, affirming their statement and preparing to reveal a secret; the temple precinct frames the courtly yet sacred exchange.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa(s)
• Pradakṣiṇā (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred teachings are often unfolded through humility and truthful acknowledgement before the learned, followed by honest disclosure.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting remains within a Devī-related tīrtha/temple narrative in Nāgarakhaṇḍa; the verse itself introduces the king’s personal testimony.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription here; it functions as a narrative transition toward explaining the power of pradakṣiṇā.