Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

गालव उवाच । इत्युक्त्वाऽकाशजावाणी विरराम शुभप्रदा । तेऽपि देवास्तदाश्चर्यं महद्दृष्ट्वा महाव्रताः

Transliteration

gālava uvāca | ityuktvā'kāśajāvāṇī virarāma śubhapradā | te'pi devāstadāścaryaṃ mahaddṛṣṭvā mahāvratāḥ

Translation

กาลวะกล่าวว่า: ครั้นกล่าวดังนี้แล้ว วาจาจากอากาศอันประทานสิริมงคลก็นิ่งสงบ และเหล่าเทพทั้งหลายผู้ทรงมหาวรต ก็ได้เห็นอัศจรรย์อันยิ่งใหญ่นั้นแล้วเกิดความพิศวง

Word by Word

• गालवः: Gālava
• गालवः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गालव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उक्तिसमाप्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative)

• उक्त्वा: having spoken
• उक्त्वा: Kriyā (Non-finite verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) → उक्त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकाल (prior action)

• आकाशजावाणी: the voice born from the sky (celestial voice)
• आकाशजावाणी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आकाश + जा + वाणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विरराम: ceased; fell silent
• विरराम: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + रम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• शुभप्रदा: bestowing auspiciousness
• शुभप्रदा: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ + प्रदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying वाणी)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपेक्षाबोधक-अव्यय (particle: also/even)

• देवाः: the gods
• देवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• आश्चर्यम्: wonder; marvel
• आश्चर्यम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्चर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• महत्: great
• महत्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying आश्चर्यम्)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriyā (Non-finite verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) → दृष्ट्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकाल (prior action)

• महाव्रताः: of great vows; very observant
• महाव्रताः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying देवाः)

Speaker

Gālava

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (implied)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śūdra-putra addressee (as indicated in 251.2)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred assembly in a grove/temple precinct: gods stand astonished, hands folded; above, an unseen luminous source indicates the ākāśavāṇī, which fades into silence; Gālava narrates at the edge of the scene.

Characters & Entities

• Gālava
• Devas (gods)
• Ākāśavāṇī (celestial voice)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine guidance confirms dharma: heavenly signs arise to support sacred vows and tīrtha-centered worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The ongoing narrative remains within the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra Māhātmya of Nāgarakhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription here; it sets the scene for vow-based worship connected with Cāturmāsya.