Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

ते प्रोचुस्तां वदास्माकं कस्मात्सृष्टा वयं शुभे

Transliteration

te procustāṃ vadāsmākaṃ kasmātsṛṣṭā vayaṃ śubhe

Translation

వారు ఆమెతో అన్నారు—“హే శుభే! మాకు చెప్పు; ఏ కారణంతో మేము సృష్టింపబడ్డాము?”

Word by Word

• te: they
• te: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• procuḥ: said, spoke
• procuḥ: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-vac (प्र+वच् धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्शभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• tām: to her, that (woman)
• tām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• vada: tell, speak
• vada: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vad (वद् धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (आज्ञार्थ/Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• asmākam: of us, for us
• asmākam: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; अस्मद्-प्रत्यय

• kasmāt: from what? why?
• kasmāt: Hetu/Apādāna (Cause/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान/हेतु), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• sṛṣṭāḥ: created
• sṛṣṭāḥ: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sṛj (सृज् धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘created’

• vayam: we
• vayam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; अस्मद्-प्रत्यय

• śubhe: O auspicious one
• śubhe: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śubhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बोधन

Speaker

Unnamed speakers (they) addressing Nandinī (contextual)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king addressed as ‘mahārāja’

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The newly manifested warriors, still bristling with weapons, turn toward the auspicious lady (Nandinī) with a questioning posture—hands slightly lowered, faces attentive—asking their origin.

Characters & Entities

• Nandinī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A sincere inquiry into origins is presented as the doorway to dharma-guided understanding.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse sits within the Tīrthamāhātmya stream of the Nāgarakhaṇḍa; the specific tīrtha is not named in this single line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None is stated here; it is a narrative question initiating explanation.