Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

अथ ते ब्राह्मणाः सर्वे यथाज्येष्ठं यथासुखम् । उपविष्टा नरेंद्रस्य चतुर्दिक्षु सुविस्मिताः । पप्रच्छुस्तं च भूपालं वार्तां ब्रह्मगृहोद्भवाम्

Transliteration

atha te brāhmaṇāḥ sarve yathājyeṣṭhaṃ yathāsukham | upaviṣṭā nareṃdrasya caturdikṣu suvismitāḥ | papracchustaṃ ca bhūpālaṃ vārtāṃ brahmagṛhodbhavām

Translation

แล้วพราหมณ์ทั้งปวงก็นั่งลงตามลำดับอาวุโสและตามความสบาย ล้อมรอบพระราชาในทั้งสี่ทิศด้วยความพิศวงยิ่ง และได้ทูลถามพระผู้ครองแผ่นดินถึงข่าวสารซึ่งเกิดขึ้นจากพำนักของพระพรหมา

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction/adverb: ‘then/now’)

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

• ब्राह्मणाः: Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘ब्राह्मणाः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• यथा-ज्येष्ठम्: according to seniority
• यथा-ज्येष्ठम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + ज्येष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; क्रियाविशेषण (according to seniority)

• यथा-सुखम्: comfortably/as they pleased
• यथा-सुखम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + सुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; क्रियाविशेषण (as comfortably as desired)

• उपविष्टाः: having sat down/seated
• उपविष्टाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-विश् (धातु) → उपविष्ट (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्तः—क्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘ब्राह्मणाः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• नरेन्द्रस्य: of the king
• नरेन्द्रस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक) + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (नराणाम् इन्द्रः)

• चतुर्दिक्षु: in the four directions
• चतुर्दिक्षु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + दिश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—द्विगु (चतस्रः दिशः)

• सुविस्मिताः: greatly astonished
• सुविस्मिताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + विस्मित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्तः—क्त (विस्मि/विस्मय); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘ब्राह्मणाः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• पप्रच्छुः: asked
• पप्रच्छुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-प्रच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• भूपालम्: the king
• भूपालम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक) + पाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (भूः पालः)

• वार्ताम्: news/account
• वार्ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वार्ता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ब्रह्मगृहोद्भवाम्: arising from Brahmā’s abode (Brahmaloka)
• ब्रह्मगृहोद्भवाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्मगृह (प्रातिपदिक) + उद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (ब्रह्मगृहात् उद्भवा) ; ‘वार्ताम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic storyteller within Nāgarakhaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gartā-tīrtha (contextual)

Type: tirtha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brāhmaṇas sit around the king in the four directions, arranged by seniority, faces astonished; they question him about tidings originating from Brahmā’s abode, turning the camp into a sacred council.

Characters & Entities

• brāhmaṇas
• king (narendra/bhūpāla)
• Brahmā (padmayoni implied by brahma-gṛha)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma thrives through respectful inquiry and transmission of sacred or extraordinary events among qualified listeners.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative setting remains associated with Gartā-tīrtha, though the verse foregrounds dialogue and inquiry.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; it depicts the proper assembly—orderly seating and respectful questioning—supporting dharmic discourse.