Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

एवमुक्त्वा ततश्चक्रे कथाश्चित्राश्च तत्पुरः । राजर्षीणां पुराणानां देवर्षीणां विशेषतः

Transliteration

evamuktvā tataścakre kathāścitrāśca tatpuraḥ | rājarṣīṇāṃ purāṇānāṃ devarṣīṇāṃ viśeṣataḥ

Translation

ครั้นกล่าวดังนี้แล้ว เขาก็เล่าเรื่องราวอัศจรรย์มากมายต่อหน้าพวกเขา—โดยเฉพาะตำนานโบราณของเหล่าราชฤๅษี และยิ่งนักว่าด้วยเหล่าเทวฤๅษี

Word by Word

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

• उक्त्वा: having said
• उक्त्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) + क्त्वा (प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय; तद्-तसिल्)
• Form: अव्यय; अपादान/कालवाचक (then/from that)

• चक्रे: did / composed / performed
• चक्रे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद

• कथाः: stories
• कथाः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• चित्राः: wonderful / varied
• चित्राः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषण

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

• तत्पुरः: in his presence
• तत्पुरः: Desha-adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत् + पुरस् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्यय (adverb) अर्थे ‘तस्य पुरतः’ (in his presence)

• राजर्षीणाम्: of royal sages
• राजर्षीणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् + ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• पुराणानाम्: of ancient (tales/legends)
• पुराणानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुराण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• देवर्षीणाम्: of divine sages
• देवर्षीणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• विशेषतः: especially
• विशेषतः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेषतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विशेषणार्थक क्रियाविशेषण (especially)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; not explicitly marked in this verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: After giving instruction, the sage begins a sequence of vivid stories; listeners lean in as the narrative shifts to royal seers and divine seers, evoking wonder.

Characters & Entities

• Rājarṣi
• Devarṣi

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred instruction is transmitted through revered lineages (rājarṣis and devarṣis), making the forthcoming teaching authoritative.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse functions as narrative setup within the Tīrthamāhātmya; no single tīrtha is named in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it introduces a teaching context that will lead into śrāddha-vidhi.