Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

नैमिषे पुण्यनिलये नानाऋषिनिषेविते । शौनकः सत्रमासीनः सूत पप्रच्छ विस्तरात्

Transliteration

naimiṣe puṇyanilaye nānāṛṣiniṣevite | śaunakaḥ satramāsīnaḥ sūta papraccha vistarāt

Translation

పుణ్యనిలయమైన నైమిషంలో, అనేక ఋషులు సేవించే ఆ స్థలంలో, సత్రయాగంలో ఆసీనుడైన శౌనకుడు సూతుని విస్తారంగా ప్రశ్నించాడు।

Word by Word

• नैमिषे: in Naimiṣa (forest)
• नैमिषे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नैमिष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; अधिकरण (locative)

• पुण्यनिलये: in the holy abode
• पुण्यनिलये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य + निलय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (pious abode)

• नाना: various
• नाना: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नाना (अव्यय/विशेषणार्थ)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable adjective), ‘various’

• ऋषिनिषेविते: frequented by sages
• ऋषिनिषेविते: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ऋषि + नि + सेव् (धातु) → निषेवित (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि क्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle) ‘frequented’; तत्पुरुष (by sages)

• शौनकः: Śaunaka
• शौनकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शौनक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• सत्रम्: a sacrificial session
• सत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• आसीनः: seated
• आसीनः: Karta (Agent-participle/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आस् (धातु) → आसीन (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle) ‘seated’

• सूत: O Sūta
• सूत: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन

• पप्रच्छ: asked
• पप्रच्छ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + पृच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/परिपूर्णभूत; perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• विस्तरात्: in detail
• विस्तरात्: Desha-Kala (Manner/रीति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विस्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे (adverbial ablative) ‘in detail/at length’

Speaker

Narrator (Sūta’s frame-story voice; verse sets the dialogue scene)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Naimiṣa (Naimiṣāraṇya)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka (with the assembled sages)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Forest hermitage at Naimiṣa: a large sacrificial enclosure with fire altars; Śaunaka seated as chief, surrounded by many rishis; Sūta stands or sits respectfully, ready to answer.

Characters & Entities

• Naimiṣa
• Śaunaka
• Sūta
• Ṛṣi

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic wisdom is transmitted in holy assemblies through respectful questioning and detailed exposition.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Naimiṣa (Naimiṣāraṇya), famed as a sacred gathering-place of sages and sacrificial rites.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Satra-yajña (a prolonged sacrificial session) is the setting, indicating a ritual context for listening to Purāṇas.