Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

कस्मात्तालत्रयं देयं मध्यगेन महात्मना । एतन्नः सर्वमाचक्ष्व परं कौतूहलं हि नः

Transliteration

kasmāttālatrayaṃ deyaṃ madhyagena mahātmanā | etannaḥ sarvamācakṣva paraṃ kautūhalaṃ hi naḥ

Translation

“เหตุใดมหาตมะผู้เป็นคนกลางจึงต้องมอบ ‘สามตาละ’ (เครื่องหมาย/ค่าตอบแทนสามประการ)? โปรดอธิบายเรื่องทั้งหมดแก่เราเถิด เพราะความใคร่รู้ของเรายิ่งนัก”

Word by Word

• कस्मात्: from what? why?
• कस्मात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source/हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम

• तालत्रयम्: a set of three tālas (palmyra trees/measure-units)
• तालत्रयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ताल + त्रय (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: द्विगु-समासः (त्रयः तालाः), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• देयम्: to be given, should be given
• देयम्: Karya (Obligation/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दा (धातु) + यत् (कृत्) → देय (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: यत्-कृदन्त (gerundive), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम्

• मध्यगेन: by the one in the middle/mediator
• मध्यगेन: Karana (Instrument/Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्यग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• महात्मना: by the great-souled one
• महात्मना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समासः (महान् आत्मा यस्य), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• नः: of us, our
• नः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'एतत्' इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• आचक्ष्व: tell, explain
• आचक्ष्व: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + चक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• परम्: great, supreme
• परम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'कौतूहलम्' इति विशेषणम्

• कौतूहलम्: curiosity, wonder
• कौतूहलम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौतूहल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• हि: indeed, for
• हि: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (निपात)
• Form: निपात (particle), अवधान/हेतु-सूचक

• नः: of us, our
• नः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

Speaker

Unspecified in excerpt (questioners: dvijottamāḥ / brāhmaṇas)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Brahmaśālā custom of ‘tāla-traya’

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijottamāḥ (foremost brāhmaṇas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A group of brāhmaṇas respectfully question the mediator about the ‘three tālas’; hands folded, attentive faces; the mediator poised to answer.

Characters & Entities

• madhyastha (mediator)
• dvijottamāḥ (Brahmin elders)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is preserved by asking for the reason behind rituals and learning the correct procedure from qualified elders.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader setting is a tīrtha-mahātmya within Nāgarakhaṇḍa; this verse focuses on assembly-ritual protocol rather than naming a specific site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A ‘tālatraya’ is to be given by the madhyastha (mediator), prompting inquiry into its purpose.