Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । एतस्मिन्नेव काले तु नागरो द्विजसत्तमाः । विश्वावसुरिति ख्यातो वेदवेदांगपारगः

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | etasminneva kāle tu nāgaro dvijasattamāḥ | viśvāvasuriti khyāto vedavedāṃgapāragaḥ

Translation

சூதர் கூறினார்—அதே காலத்தில், ஓ சிறந்த இருபிறப்பினரே! ‘விஸ்வாவசு’ எனப் புகழ்பெற்ற ஒரு நாகர பிராமணர் இருந்தார்; அவர் வேதங்களிலும் வேதாங்கங்களிலும் தேர்ந்தவர்.

Word by Word

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

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

• एतस्मिन्: in this
• एतस्मिन्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle)

• काले: at the time
• काले: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• तु: but/and
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अन्वय-निपात (but/indeed)

• नागरः: a citizen; (here) Nāgara (a person named/termed)
• नागरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नागर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• द्विजसत्तमाः: O best of the twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विजसत्तमाः: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक-समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), बहुवचन; समासः—द्विजानां सत्तमाः

• विश्वावसुः: Viśvāvasu
• विश्वावसुः: Karta (कर्ता) (apposition to नागरः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वावसु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; नाम (proper name)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (नामनिर्देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: नामनिर्देशक/उद्धरण-निपात (thus-called)

• ख्यातः: was known (as)
• ख्यातः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ख्या (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘renowned/called’

• वेदवेदाङ्गपारगः: versed in the Vedas and Vedāṅgas
• वेदवेदाङ्गपारगः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वेद + वेदाङ्ग + पारग (प्रातिपदिक-समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—वेदेषु वेदाङ्गेषु च पारगः (expert)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (continuing context)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvija-sattamas (Śaunaka-led sages)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta addresses the assembled sages, introducing a renowned Nāgara brāhmaṇa named Viśvāvāsu, depicted as serene, scholarly, with manuscripts and ritual implements, embodying Veda-vedāṅga mastery.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Viśvāvāsu
• Nāgara
• Veda
• Vedāṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The māhātmya tradition often begins by grounding the coming sacred episode in the life of a learned, dharmic person.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The overarching frame remains Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra Māhātmya, though this verse introduces a key character.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it introduces Viśvāvāsu and his Vedic qualifications.