Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । ततःप्रभृतिपुण्ये च सरस्वत्यास्तटेशुभे । बाह्यानां नागराणां च स्थानं जातं महत्तरम्

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | tataḥprabhṛtipuṇye ca sarasvatyāstaṭeśubhe | bāhyānāṃ nāgarāṇāṃ ca sthānaṃ jātaṃ mahattaram

Translation

Сута сказал: С того времени на благом и благочестивом берегу Сарасвати поселение Внешних Нагаров стало весьма великим и заметным.

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta
• सूतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

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

• ततः: then/from then on
• ततः: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तस्मात्/ततः—क्रमवाचक-क्रियाविशेषण (then/from that time)

• प्रभृति: from (that point)
• प्रभृति: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रभृति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आरम्भवाचक (from, beginning with)

• पुण्ये: in the holy (place/time)
• पुण्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; विशेषण

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• सरस्वत्याः: of Sarasvatī
• सरस्वत्याः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस्वती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• तटे: on the bank
• तटे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• शुभे: auspicious
• शुभे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; विशेषण

• बाह्यानाम्: of outsiders/foreigners
• बाह्यानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बाह्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• नागराणाम्: of the Nāgaras (people)
• नागराणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नागर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• स्थानम्: a place/settlement
• स्थानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• जातम्: arose/came into being
• जातम्: Kriya (Result state/क्रियाफल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘भूत’ अर्थे

• महत्तरम्: greater/very large
• महत्तरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; तुलनात्मक (comparative)

Speaker

Sūta

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Sarasvatī
• Nāgara (people/community)
• Bāhya Nāgaras

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Holy riversides are portrayed as dharmic centers where communities flourish through the power of puṇya (sacred merit).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The auspicious bank (taṭa) of the river Sarasvatī, treated as a tīrtha landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is stated; the verse highlights the sanctity and prosperity associated with the Sarasvatī riverbank.