Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । एतद्वः कथितं विप्राश्चातुर्मास्यसमुद्भवम् । माहात्म्यं विस्तरेणैव किमन्यच्छ्रोतुमिच्छथ

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | etadvaḥ kathitaṃ viprāścāturmāsyasamudbhavam | māhātmyaṃ vistareṇaiva kimanyacchrotumicchatha

Translation

சூதர் கூறினார்—ஓ விப்ரர்களே! சாத்துர்மாஸ்யத்திலிருந்து தோன்றிய இந்த மகிமையை நான் உங்களுக்கு விரிவாகச் சொன்னேன்; இன்னும் என்ன கேட்க விரும்புகிறீர்கள்?

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta
• सूतः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — 'Sūta'

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — 'said'

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — 'this'

• वः: to you
• वः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी/षष्ठी (4th dative or 6th genitive), बहुवचन — 'to you/for you' or 'of you' (context: 'to you')

• कथितम्: has been told
• कथितम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कथ् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — 'told/related' (impersonal passive: 'has been told')

• विप्राः: O Brahmins
• विप्राः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — 'O Brahmins' (vocative sense though form = nominative plural)

• चातुर्मास्यसमुद्भवम्: arising from the Cāturmāsya observance
• चातुर्मास्यसमुद्भवम्: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चातुर्मास्य (प्रातिपदिक) + समुद्भव (प्रातिपदिक; सम्+उद्+√भू + घञ्/अ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — 'arising from Cāturmāsya' qualifying माहात्म्यम्

• माहात्म्यम्: the glory
• माहात्म्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — 'glory'

• विस्तरेण: in detail
• विस्तरेण: Kriya-visheshana (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विस्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन — 'in detail/with विस्तार' (instrumental of manner)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphasis: 'indeed')

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — interrogative 'what?'

• अन्यत्: other
• अन्यत्: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — 'other' qualifying किम्

• श्रोतुम्: to hear
• श्रोतुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √श्रु (धातु) + तुमुन् (कृदन्त)
• Form: तुमुनन्त (infinitive): 'to hear'

• इच्छथ: do you wish
• इच्छथ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √इष्/√इच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), मध्यमपुरुष, बहुवचन — 'you (all) desire/wish'

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (context)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas/ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta seated on a vyāsāsana in a forest hermitage, sages gathered with kuśa grass seats, attentive faces; the moment is a calm pause inviting the next question.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Vipras (sages)
• Cāturmāsya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic teaching is transmitted through respectful dialogue; dharma is preserved by hearing (śravaṇa) and inquiry.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This is a narrative transition verse; the broader context is the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra Māhātmya within Nāgara Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The implied practice is śravaṇa (listening to māhātmya) and continuing inquiry; no specific external ritual is stated.