Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

नारद उवाच । नियमः कीदृशो ब्रह्मन्फलं च नियमेन किम् । नियमेन हरिस्तुष्टो यथा भवति तद्वद

Transliteration

nārada uvāca | niyamaḥ kīdṛśo brahmanphalaṃ ca niyamena kim | niyamena haristuṣṭo yathā bhavati tadvada

Translation

नारद उवाच—हे ब्रह्मन्, नियमः कीदृशः? नियमेन किं फलं लभ्यते? नियमेन हरिः कथं तुष्यति, तद् विस्तरेण वद।

Word by Word

• नारदः: Nārada
• नारदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

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

• नियमः: observance/discipline
• नियमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नियम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• कीदृशः: of what kind?
• कीदृशः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कीदृश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक-विशेषणम् (interrogative adjective)

• ब्रह्मन्: O Brahman (sage)
• ब्रह्मन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन; अत्र प्रश्नार्थे (what fruit?)

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

• नियमेन: by/through observance
• नियमेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नियम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम (interrogative pronoun)

• नियमेन: by observance
• नियमेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नियम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• हरिः: Hari (Viṣṇu)
• हरिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तुष्टः: pleased
• तुष्टः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तुष्ट (कृदन्त; √तुष् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (past participle)

• यथा: how/as
• यथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (how/as)

• भवति: becomes/is
• भवति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

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

• वद: tell/say
• वद: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Nārada

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brahmā

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A calm hermitage dialogue: Nārada, vīṇā in hand, respectfully questions Brahmā seated on a lotus-throne; the atmosphere is contemplative, signaling the start of a teaching on inner discipline.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Brahmā
• Hari (Viṣṇu)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True observance requires understanding—Nārada seeks the nature and fruit of niyama and how it leads to divine pleasure.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is specified in this verse; it introduces a doctrinal inquiry within a tīrtha-mahātmya chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse asks about niyama (vow/restraint) and its results, setting up the forthcoming prescription/definition.