Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । श्रुत्वा कात्यायनी सर्वं शांडिल्या यत्प्रकीर्तितम् । ततः प्रणम्य तां पृष्ट्वा स्वमेव भवनं ययौ

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | śrutvā kātyāyanī sarvaṃ śāṃḍilyā yatprakīrtitam | tataḥ praṇamya tāṃ pṛṣṭvā svameva bhavanaṃ yayau

Translation

สูตะกล่าวว่า ครั้นกาตยายณีได้ฟังถ้อยคำทั้งปวงที่ศาณฑิลยาอธิบายแล้ว นางจึงนอบน้อมกราบไหว้ท่าน แล้วไต่ถามต่อ จากนั้นก็กลับไปยังเรือนของตน

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta
• सूतः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Speech act/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect/परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having heard)

• कात्यायनी: Kātyāyanī
• कात्यायनी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कात्यायनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सर्वम्: everything
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्म

• शांडिल्या: by Śāṇḍilyā
• शांडिल्या: Karana (Agent-instrumental/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाण्डिल्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; कर्तृ-निर्देश (agent in passive sense)

• यत्: which
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-प्रत्यय (relative pronoun)

• प्रकीर्तितम्: was narrated
• प्रकीर्तितम्: Karma (Object complement)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-कीर्तय् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘praised/related’ (agreeing with ‘यत्’)

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (Sequence)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रम/अनन्तर (then/thereupon)

• प्रणम्य: having bowed
• प्रणम्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-नम् (धातु) + ल्यप् (क्त्वार्थ)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having bowed)

• ताम्: her
• ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्म

• पृष्ट्वा: having asked
• पृष्ट्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रच्छ् (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having asked)

• स्वम्: own
• स्वम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (to ‘भवनम्’)

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphasis/only)

• भवनम्: house, abode
• भवनम्: Karma (Goal as object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्म (destination as object of motion)

• ययौ: went
• ययौ: Kriya (Motion/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect/परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

Speaker

Sūta

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (standard Sūta frame; implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta narrates: Kātyāyanī, having heard Śāṇḍilyā’s full explanation, bows, asks a follow-up, and departs to her home—an image of reverent learning and purposeful return.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Kātyāyanī
• Śāṇḍilyā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Right conduct begins with respectful listening, reverence to the teacher, and sincere inquiry before practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse is a narrative transition and does not specify a named tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual step; it marks the acceptance of instruction and readiness to perform the vow.