Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

शूद्र उवाच । इदमाश्चर्यरूपं मे प्रतिभाति वचस्तव । यद्यपि स्यान्महाक्लेशो वदतस्तव सुव्रत

Transliteration

śūdra uvāca | idamāścaryarūpaṃ me pratibhāti vacastava | yadyapi syānmahākleśo vadatastava suvrata

Translation

శూద్రుడు అన్నాడు—నీ వచనాలు నాకు ఆశ్చర్యరూపంగా అనిపిస్తున్నాయి. ఓ సువ్రతా! చెప్పుచుండగా నీకు మహాక్లేశం వచ్చినా కూడా…

Word by Word

• śūdraḥ: the Śūdra (speaker)
• śūdraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śūdra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• idam: this
• idam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• āścarya-rūpam: wonderful in nature
• āścarya-rūpam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: āścarya + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (āścaryasya rūpam)

• me: to me / for me
• me: Sampradana (Dative/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी (6th/4th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (enclitic)

• pratibhāti: appears, seems
• pratibhāti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prati-√bhā (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• vacaḥ: speech, statement
• vacaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vacas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• tava: your
• tava: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• yadi api: even if
• yadi api: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय) + api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय-द्वयम्; yadi (conditional) + api (concessive particle)

• syāt: might be
• syāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• mahā-kleśaḥ: great hardship
• mahā-kleśaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā + kleśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः

• vadatas: of (you) speaking
• vadatas: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vadat (कृदन्त; √vad)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ), षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; परस्मैपदी; 'of (you) speaking'

• tava: your
• tava: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• su-vrata: O one of good vows
• su-vrata: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: su + vrata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/vocative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः

Speaker

Śūdra (questioner within the narrative frame)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śūdra (questioner)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A humble householder (Śūdra) sits respectfully before a radiant brāhmaṇa narrator; hands folded, eyes uplifted, expressing wonder at the narrator’s vow-bound endurance in speaking sacred lore.

Characters & Entities

• Śūdra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverent inquiry is honored in Purāṇic tradition; wonder (āścarya) becomes the doorway to dharma-teaching.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader passage continues within the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra Māhātmya of Nāgara-khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it sets up a question-response continuation.