Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । एवमुक्तो विहस्योच्चैः स तदा ब्राह्मणोत्तमाः । तामालिंग्य ततः प्राह वचनं मधुराक्षरम्

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | evamukto vihasyoccaiḥ sa tadā brāhmaṇottamāḥ | tāmāliṃgya tataḥ prāha vacanaṃ madhurākṣaram

Translation

สูตะกล่าวว่า: เมื่อถูกกล่าวเช่นนั้น พราหมณ์ผู้ประเสริฐก็หัวเราะเสียงดัง; แล้วโอบกอดนางและกล่าวถ้อยคำอันอ่อนหวานไพเราะ

Word by Word

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

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshana (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकारवाचक (thus)

• उक्तः: having been spoken to; addressed
• उक्तः: Karta (Subject—described/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु) → उक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृत् (Past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (एवम्-उक्तः = thus addressed)

• विहस्य: having laughed
• विहस्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + √हस् (धातु) → विहस्य (क्त्वान्त/ल्यप्)
• Form: अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive -ya/ल्यप्), ‘having laughed’

• उच्चैः: aloud; loudly
• उच्चैः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उच्चैः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (aloud)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, कालवाचक (then)

• ब्राह्मणोत्तमः: the excellent Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणोत्तमः: Apposition (Renaming/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिकौ)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (best among Brahmins); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (पाठे ‘ब्राह्मणोत्तमाः’ इति बहुवचन-रूपं दृश्यते, सन्दर्भे एकवचन अपेक्षितम्)

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

• आलिङ्ग्य: having embraced
• आलिङ्ग्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + √लिङ्ग्/√लिङ्ग (धातु) → आलिङ्ग्य (क्त्वान्त/ल्यप्)
• Form: अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive -ya/ल्यप्), ‘having embraced’

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Sequence/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रम/अपादानार्थक (then; thereafter)

• प्राह: said
• प्राह: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• वचनम्: words; speech
• वचनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मधुराक्षरम्: sweet-worded
• मधुराक्षरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मधुर + अक्षर (प्रातिपदिकौ)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (sweet-syllabled); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (वचनम्)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

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

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta narrates: the noble brāhmaṇa laughs openly, embraces the woman, and speaks sweetly—an atmosphere of release after tension, suggesting forgiveness or affectionate reassurance.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Puranic teaching is often framed through compassionate dialogue; even when truth is exposed, speech should remain sweet and dharmic.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is specified in this verse; it is a narrative bridge within the Tīrthamāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it describes the manner of speech and interaction.