Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 72

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । तच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं तस्य नारदस्य स बालकः । भयेन महता युक्तस्ततः पप्रच्छ तं मुनिम्

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | tacchrutvā vacanaṃ tasya nāradasya sa bālakaḥ | bhayena mahatā yuktastataḥ papraccha taṃ munim

Translation

Сута сказал: Услышав эти слова Нарады, мальчик, охваченный великим страхом, спросил того мудреца.

Word by Word

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

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

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

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial to action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय-क्रियाविशेषण (Gerund/Absolutive)

• वचनम्: speech, words
• वचनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• नारदस्य: of Nārada
• नारदस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• बालकः: the boy
• बालकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बालक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• भयेन: with fear
• भयेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• महतā: great
• महतā: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; (भयेन इत्यस्य विशेषण)

• युक्तः: endowed, possessed
• युक्तः: Karta-dharma (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युज् (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Past participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• पप्रच्छ: asked
• पप्रच्छ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

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

• मुनिम्: the sage
• मुनिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (explicit)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and other ṛṣis (implied traditional frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A frightened boy stands before sage Nārada in a forest-hermitage setting, head bowed, hands slightly raised as if about to ask; Nārada calm, holding vīṇā, compassionate yet instructive.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Nārada
• Pippalāda (boy; explicit later by name in 77)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When confronted with the gravity of divine law, the sincere seeker turns to a guru-like sage for guidance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of a tīrtha-glorification chapter, but the site is not named in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None yet; it introduces the question that leads to the remedy (stuti).