Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । अस्मिन्नर्थे पुरा पृष्टो विश्वामित्रो महामुनिः । समुपेत्याश्रमं तस्य आनर्तेन महीभुजा

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | asminnarthe purā pṛṣṭo viśvāmitro mahāmuniḥ | samupetyāśramaṃ tasya ānartena mahībhujā

Translation

สูตะกล่าวว่า: กาลก่อน ในเรื่องนี้เอง มหามุนีวิศวามิตรเคยถูกถาม เมื่อกษัตริย์แห่งอานรตะได้เข้าไปยังอาศรมของท่าน

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta
• सूतः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम्

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (Locative/7th), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• अर्थे: matter/topic
• अर्थे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (Locative/7th), एकवचनम्

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्ययम् (temporal adverb: formerly)

• पृष्टः: was asked
• पृष्टः: Karma (Predicate/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रच्छ् (धातु) → पृष्ट (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्तः (Past passive participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; कर्मणि—‘was asked’

• विश्वामित्रः: Viśvāmitra
• विश्वामित्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वामित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• महामुनिः: the great sage
• महामुनिः: Apposition (Samānādhikaraṇa/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘great sage’

• समुपेत्य: having approached
• समुपेत्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + उप + इ (धातु) → समुपेत्य (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्तः (gerund), ‘having approached’

• आश्रमम्: hermitage
• आश्रमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम्

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive/6th), एकवचनम्

• आनर्तेन: by (the king) of Ānarta / by an Ānarta
• आनर्तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आनर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचनम्; जनपद/देशवाचक

• महीभुजा: by the king
• महीभुजा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही + भुज् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचनम्; ‘earth-ruler’ (राजा)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ānarta (regional frame; specific tīrtha to be named in subsequent verses)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sūtanandana / Śaunaka-group (Naimiṣāraṇya frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Gujarat-region king arrives with retinue at a forest hermitage; Viśvāmitra sits in tapas posture amid sacrificial fires, deer, and disciples; the scene signals the start of an instructive legend.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Viśvāmitra
• Ānarta
• king (mahībhuj)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Puranic teachings are often transmitted through exemplary dialogues between kings and sages to resolve practical Dharma questions.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the verse introduces the narrative setting (Viśvāmitra’s āśrama).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it establishes the speaker (Sūta) and the prior inquiry to Viśvāmitra.