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Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 1

। ऋषय ऊचुः । चमत्कारः कथं राजा मुक्तः कुष्ठेन सूतज । कथं तेन तपस्तप्तं कियत्कालं च भूभुजा

| ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | camatkāraḥ kathaṃ rājā muktaḥ kuṣṭhena sūtaja | kathaṃ tena tapastaptaṃ kiyatkālaṃ ca bhūbhujā

เหล่าฤๅษีกล่าวว่า “โอ บุตรแห่งสูตะ พระราชาพ้นจากโรคเรื้อนอย่างไร—อัศจรรย์นั้นเกิดขึ้นเช่นไร? และกษัตริย์นั้นบำเพ็ญตบะอย่างไร นานเพียงใด?”

ऋषयःthe sages
ऋषयः:
Karta (Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम् (Nominative plural, masc.)
ऊचुःsaid
ऊचुः:
Kriyā (Main verb)
TypeVerb
Root√वच् (धातु)
Formलिट्-लकारः (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्; परस्मैपदम् (3rd pl. perfect)
चमत्कारःthe wonder
चमत्कारः:
Karma/Viṣaya (Topic of question)
TypeNoun
Rootचमत्कार (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Nominative singular, masc.)
कथम्how
कथम्:
Praśna (Interrogative)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootकथम् (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक क्रियाविशेषण (interrogative adverb “how?”)
राजाthe king
राजा:
Karta (Subject of implied verb)
TypeNoun
Rootराजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Nominative singular, masc.)
मुक्तःwas freed
मुक्तः:
Kriyā (Predicate)
TypeVerb
Root√मुच् (धातु)
Formक्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; “freed”
कुष्ठेनfrom leprosy
कुष्ठेन:
Karaṇa/Hetu (Cause/affliction)
TypeNoun
Rootकुष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Instrumental singular, neut.); हेतौ/संबन्धे “with/from leprosy”
सूतजO son of the sūta
सूतज:
Sambodhana (Address)
TypeNoun
Rootसूत (प्रातिपदिक) + ज (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्गे सम्बोधन-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सूतस्य जः = son of the charioteer/bard) (Voc. sg. masc.)
कथम्how
कथम्:
Praśna (Interrogative)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootकथम् (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक (how?)
तेनby him
तेन:
Karta/Karaṇa (Agent/with him)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्गे तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Instrumental singular, masc.)
तपःausterity
तपः:
Karma (Object of तप्तम्)
TypeNoun
Rootतपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Nom./Acc. sg. neut.)
तप्तम्was performed
तप्तम्:
Kriyā (Predicate; with implied ‘अभवत्’)
TypeVerb
Root√तप् (धातु)
Formक्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; “performed (austerity)”
कियत्कालम्for how long a time
कियत्कालम्:
Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Duration as object of question)
TypeNoun
Rootकियत् (प्रश्न-प्रातिपदिक) + काल (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः (कियान् कालः) (Acc. sg. masc.)
and
:
Sambandha (Connector)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (and)
भूभुजाby the king
भूभुजा:
Karta (Agent in passive sense)
TypeNoun
Rootभूभुज् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्गे तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Instrumental singular, masc.); कर्तृवाचक “by the king”

Ṛṣis (sages) addressing Sūta

Tirtha: Śaṅkhatīrtha (topic continued)

Listener: Ṛṣis

Scene: An assembly of sages seated in a forest hermitage, facing Sūta; their expressions curious and amazed; one sage raises a hand in inquiry; ritual fires and deer-skins in the background.

Ṛṣis (sages)
S
Sūta
K
king
K
kuṣṭha

FAQs

Purāṇas teach through inquiry: seekers ask for the method (sādhana) behind a miracle, not merely the result.

Śaṅkhatīrtha remains the central tīrtha under discussion, prompting the sages’ questions.

No prescription here; it requests details about the king’s tapas and the timeline leading to liberation.