Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । क्षेत्रत्रयमिहाख्यातं तथारण्यत्रयं महत् । पुरीत्रयं वनान्येव त्रीणि ग्रामास्तथात्रयः

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | kṣetratrayamihākhyātaṃ tathāraṇyatrayaṃ mahat | purītrayaṃ vanānyeva trīṇi grāmāstathātrayaḥ

Translation

สุตะกล่าวว่า: ณ ที่นี้ได้ประกาศไว้ถึงเขตศักดิ์สิทธิ์สามประการ และป่าใหญ่อีกสามประการ; นครศักดิ์สิทธิ์สามนคร พงไพรสามถิ่น และหมู่บ้านสามแห่งเช่นกัน

Word by Word

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

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• क्षेत्रत्रयम्: a triad of sacred fields (three kṣetras)
• क्षेत्रत्रयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + त्रय (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular); द्विगु-समासः (त्रयाणि क्षेत्राणि)

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb: here)

• आख्यातम्: is declared/known
• आख्यातम्: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आख्यात (कृदन्त; √ख्या + आ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular); भूतकृत् (past participle)

• तथा: also
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अनुक्रमवाचक अव्यय (also/likewise)

• अरण्यत्रयम्: three forests
• अरण्यत्रयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अरण्य (प्रातिपदिक) + त्रय (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular); द्विगु-समासः (त्रीणि अरण्यानि)

• महत्: great
• महत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular); ‘अरण्यत्रयम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• पुरीत्रयम्: three cities
• पुरीत्रयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरी (प्रातिपदिक) + त्रय (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular); द्विगु-समासः (तिस्रः पुर्यः)

• वनानि: forests/woods
• वनानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), बहुवचन (Plural)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle: indeed/just)

• त्रीणि: three
• त्रीणि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), बहुवचन (Plural); ‘ग्रामाः’ इत्यस्य संख्याविशेषणम्

• ग्रामाः: villages
• ग्रामाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• तथा: also
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अनुक्रमवाचक अव्यय (also/likewise)

• त्रयः: three
• त्रयः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); ‘ग्रामाः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Tīrtha-sāra triads (to be specified in subsequent verses)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣayaḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta enumerating categories in triads; visual could show five panels or a mandala with labeled sectors: kṣetra, araṇya, purī, vana, grāma—each with three icons.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Kṣetra (sacred region)
• Araṇya (forest)
• Purī (city)
• Grāma (village)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred merit is organized through a mapped sacred landscape—select categories of places concentrate the fruits of wider pilgrimage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse introduces categories (triads) rather than naming the sites; the following verses typically enumerate them.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; it provides a sacred-geography schema that guides pilgrimage and practice.