Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 57

Devanagari script

अतीतं वर्तमानं च भविष्यद्वापि यद्भवेत् । न तेऽस्त्यविदितं किंचित्सर्वं जानीमहे वयम्

Transliteration

atītaṃ vartamānaṃ ca bhaviṣyadvāpi yadbhavet | na te'styaviditaṃ kiṃcitsarvaṃ jānīmahe vayam

Translation

อดีต ปัจจุบัน และสิ่งใดก็ตามที่จะบังเกิดในอนาคต—ไม่มีสิ่งใดเป็นที่ไม่รู้แก่ท่านเลย เราทั้งหลายรู้จักท่านว่าเป็นผู้รู้ทั่วทุกประการ

Word by Word

• अतीतम्: the past
• अतीतम्: Karma/Predicate complement (Object/पूरक)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अतीत (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-भाव)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘गतं भूतम्’

• वर्तमानम्: the present
• वर्तमानम्: Karma/Predicate complement (Object/पूरक)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्तमान (प्रातिपदिक; वर्त् धातोः शतृ/मान)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• भविष्यत्: the future
• भविष्यत्: Karma/Predicate complement (Object/पूरक)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भविष्यत् (प्रातिपदिक; √भू + शतृ/भविष्यत्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Connector (विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पबोधक-निपात (disjunctive particle)

• अपि: also, even
• अपि: Modifier (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपेक्षाबोधक-निपात (particle)

• यत्: whatever
• यत्: Karma/Predicate complement (Object/पूरक)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; यद्-सम्बन्ध

• भवेत्: may be, might occur
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation)

• ते: to you / of you
• ते: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी (6th/4th), एकवचन; ‘तव/तुभ्यम्’ (सन्दर्भे षष्ठी)

• अस्ति: is
• अस्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अविदितम्: unknown
• अविदितम्: Predicate complement (विशेष्य-विशेषणभाव)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-विदित (प्रातिपदिक; √विद् + क्त, नञ्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘न ज्ञातम्’

• किंचित्: anything
• किंचित्: Karta/Predicate subject (Subject of ‘अस्ति’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + चित् (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अनिश्चितार्थक (indefinite)

• सर्वम्: everything
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• जानीमहे: we know
• जानीमहे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

• वयम्: we
• वयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

Speaker

Brāhmaṇas (addressing a revered authority)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devotees address the authority with reverent praise, gesturing toward him as a seer who knows time’s three divisions; the authority remains composed.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is clarified by approaching a competent authority; humility and reliance on true knowledge are praised.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya setting; this line itself introduces the dialogue rather than naming a specific tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it prepares the request for guidance that follows.