Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । इममर्थं पुरा पृष्टो वासवेन बृहस्पतिः । यथा प्रोवाच विप्रेंद्रास्तद्वो वक्ष्यामि सांप्रतम्

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | imamarthaṃ purā pṛṣṭo vāsavena bṛhaspatiḥ | yathā provāca vipreṃdrāstadvo vakṣyāmi sāṃpratam

Translation

สูตะกล่าวว่า: กาลก่อน วาสวะ (อินทร์) ได้ถามเรื่องนี้แก่พระพฤหัสบดี โอ พราหมณ์ผู้ประเสริฐทั้งหลาย ดังที่ท่านได้กล่าวไว้ ฉันจักเล่าให้ท่านทั้งหลายฟังในบัดนี้

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta
• सूतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• इमम्: this
• इमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण

• अर्थम्: matter/meaning
• अर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• पुरा: formerly/once
• पुरा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb of time)

• पृष्टः: was asked
• पृष्टः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पृच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग-सूचक

• वासवेन: by Vāsava (Indra)
• वासवेन: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• बृहस्पतिः: Bṛhaspati
• बृहस्पतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बृहस्पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• यथा: as/how
• यथा: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (as/how)

• प्रोवाच: told/declared
• प्रोवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; उपसर्ग: प्र-

• विप्रेन्द्राः: O best of Brahmins
• विप्रेन्द्राः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• तत्: that (matter)
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• वः: to you
• वः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• वक्ष्यामि: I will tell
• वक्ष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• साम्प्रतम्: now/at present
• साम्प्रतम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साम्प्रतम् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb of time)

Speaker

Sūta

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣayaḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two-layered narrative: foreground Sūta addressing sages; background vignette of Indra consulting Bṛhaspati in Svarga, emphasizing lineage of knowledge.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Vāsava (Indra)
• Bṛhaspati
• Vipra (Brāhmaṇas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic knowledge is preserved through reliable transmission: Sūta repeats what Bṛhaspati taught Indra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned; the verse sets the authority for the coming yuga exposition.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it establishes the narrative source and credibility.