Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 57

Devanagari script

एवमुक्त्वाऽथ तं विष्णुर्नारदं मुनिपुंगवम् । ततश्च गरुडं प्राह त्वं किमर्थमिहागतः

Transliteration

evamuktvā'tha taṃ viṣṇurnāradaṃ munipuṃgavam | tataśca garuḍaṃ prāha tvaṃ kimarthamihāgataḥ

Translation

ଏଭଳି କହି ବିଷ୍ଣୁ ମୁନିଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ ନାରଦଙ୍କୁ ସମ୍ବୋଧନ କଲେ; ପରେ ଗରୁଡଙ୍କୁ କହିଲେ: ‘ତୁମେ କେଉଁ ଉଦ୍ଦେଶ୍ୟରେ ଏଠାକୁ ଆସିଛ?’

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (manner)

• उक्त्वा: having spoken
• उक्त्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund), 'having said'

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (sequence particle)

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

• विष्णुः: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• नारदम्: Nārada
• नारदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• मुनि-पुंगवम्: the foremost of sages
• मुनि-पुंगवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक) + पुंगव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (मुनिषु पुंगवः = best among sages)

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: Sambandha (Sequence/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (from there/thereafter)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunction)

• गरुडम्: Garuḍa
• गरुडम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गरुड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• प्राह: said
• प्राह: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आह्/अह् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन (2nd person pronoun)

• किम्-अर्थम्: for what purpose? why?
• किम्-अर्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb), तत्पुरुष-समास (कस्य अर्थः = for what purpose)

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (place)

• आगतः: have come
• आगतः: Kriya (Predicate complement/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्तरि (agreeing with 'त्वम्')

Speaker

Viṣṇu

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viṣṇu, having addressed Nārada, turns toward Garuḍa and asks his purpose; Garuḍa stands with folded hands, wings partially spread, poised for service.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Nārada
• Garuḍa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic narration models orderly dialogue: divine commitments are followed by attentive listening to devotees’ petitions.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned in this verse; it marks a narrative transition.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.