Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

प्रणम्य स्तुतिभिर्युक्त्या मार्क्कंडं मुनयोऽब्रुवन् । भगवन्नैमिषारण्ये सत्रे द्वादशवार्षिके

Transliteration

praṇamya stutibhiryuktyā mārkkaṃḍaṃ munayo'bruvan | bhagavannaimiṣāraṇye satre dvādaśavārṣike

Translation

உகந்த ஸ்துதிகளுடன் வணங்கி முனிவர்கள் மார்கண்டேயரிடம் கூறினர்—“பகவனே! நைமிஷாரண்யத்தில் பன்னிரண்டு ஆண்டு சத்ர யாகத்தில்…”

Word by Word

• प्रणम्य: having bowed
• प्रणम्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + नम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund); पूर्वक्रिया (having bowed)

• स्तुतिभिः: with praises
• स्तुतिभिः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तुति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (करण), बहुवचनम् (Feminine, Instrumental, Plural)

• युक्त्या: properly, with due method
• युक्त्या: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; क्रियाविशेषणार्थे (Feminine, Instrumental, Singular; adverbial: 'properly')

• मार्क्कण्डम्: Mārkkaṇḍa (name)
• मार्क्कण्डम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्क्कण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Masculine, Accusative, Singular)

• मुनयः: the sages
• मुनयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (कर्ता), बहुवचनम् (Masculine, Nominative, Plural)

• अब्रुवन्: said
• अब्रुवन्: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकारः (Imperfect/Past), प्रथम-पुरुषः, बहुवचनम्; परस्मैपदम् (3rd person plural, past)

• भगवन्: O venerable one
• भगवन्: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), एकवचनम् (Masculine, Vocative, Singular)

• नैमिष-अरण्ये: in the Naimiṣa forest
• नैमिष-अरण्ये: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नैमिष (प्रातिपदिक) + अरण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (अधिकरण), एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नैमिषस्य अरण्यम्) (Neuter, Locative, Singular)

• सत्रे: at the sacrificial session (sattra)
• सत्रे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Neuter, Locative, Singular)

• द्वादश-वार्षिके: in the twelve-year (rite)
• द्वादश-वार्षिके: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of satre)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वादश (संख्या/प्रातिपदिक) + वार्षिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; द्विगु-समासः (द्वादश वर्षाणि यस्य) विशेषणम् (Neuter, Locative, Singular)

Speaker

Sages (Munis) addressing Mārkaṇḍeya (within Sūta’s narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Naimiṣāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and other sages; here, sages address Mārkaṇḍeya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A circle of sages in a forest sacrificial enclosure; they bow and chant hymns to Mārkaṇḍeya seated on a kusa mat; sacrificial fires and ladles nearby, atmosphere of disciplined devotion.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Naimiṣāraṇya
• Satra (12-year sacrifice)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic wisdom is transmitted through humility (praṇāma), praise, and inquiry in sacred assemblies.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Naimiṣāraṇya is referenced as the setting of a great satra, framing the authority of the discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A dvādaśavārṣika satra (twelve-year sacrificial session) is mentioned as the religious context.