Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

ताभ्यां सर्वं समाचक्ष्व वृत्तांतं सूतनंदन । अत्र नः कौतुकं जातं विचित्रं जल्पतस्तव

Transliteration

tābhyāṃ sarvaṃ samācakṣva vṛttāṃtaṃ sūtanaṃdana | atra naḥ kautukaṃ jātaṃ vicitraṃ jalpatastava

Translation

ஓ சூதநந்தனே! அந்த இருவரைப் பற்றிய முழு வரலாறையும் எங்களுக்கு விரிவாகச் சொல்வாயாக. உன் வியத்தகு, பலவகைச் சொல்லாடலால் இங்கு எங்கள் ஆர்வம் எழுந்தது.

Word by Word

• ताभ्याम्: by those two (by them)
• ताभ्याम्: करण (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, स्त्रीलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (करण), द्विवचनम्; Pronoun, Feminine, Instrumental (3rd), Dual

• सर्वम्: everything
• सर्वम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (कर्म), एकवचनम्; Neuter, Accusative (2nd), Singular

• समाचक्ष्व: tell, relate
• समाचक्ष्व: क्रिया (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-चक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकारः (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; Imperative, 2nd person, Singular

• वृत्तान्तम्: the account, narrative
• वृत्तान्तम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृत्तान्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (कर्म), एकवचनम्; Masculine, Accusative (2nd), Singular

• सूतनन्दन: O son of the Sūta
• सूतनन्दन: सम्बोधन (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत-नन्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सूतस्य नन्दनः); पुंलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; Vocative, Singular

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: अधिकरण (Locative/Setting)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; स्थानवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• नः: of us, our
• नः: सम्बन्ध (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचनम्; Pronoun, Genitive (6th), Plural

• कौतुकम्: curiosity, wonder
• कौतुकम्: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौतुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (कर्ता), एकवचनम्; Neuter, Nominative (1st), Singular

• जातम्: has arisen
• जातम्: क्रिया (Predicate/State)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु) + जात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्तः (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; Past participle, Neuter, Nominative, Singular (used predicatively)

• विचित्रम्: strange, wondrous
• विचित्रम्: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विचित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; Neuter, Nominative, Singular (qualifying ‘कौतुकम्’)

• जल्पतः: of (you) speaking
• जल्पतः: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल्प् (धातु) + जल्पत् (शतृ-कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्तः (शतृ), पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; Present participle, Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• तव: your
• तव: सम्बन्ध (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (सम्बन्ध), एकवचनम्; Pronoun, Genitive (6th), Singular

Speaker

Ṛṣis (sages)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas / assembled sages addressing the Sūta’s son

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A circle of brāhmaṇa sages, seated in a forest-āśrama or sabhā-like setting, lean forward with raised hands in inquiry as the Sūta’s son prepares to narrate; palm-leaf manuscripts and a sacrificial fire suggest sacred transmission.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta (sūtanaṃdana)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverent inquiry (praśna) and attentive listening are upheld as gateways to understanding dharma and tīrtha-māhātmya.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the verse functions as a narrative transition within the tīrthamāhātmya discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it emphasizes the method of transmission—asking and hearing the full sacred account.