Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 203

Devanagari script

ततस्तु कौतुकाविष्टस्तं पप्रच्छ द्विजोत्तमम् । कर्मणा केन संप्राप्तमायुष्यं चेदृशं वद

Transliteration

tatastu kautukāviṣṭastaṃ papraccha dvijottamam | karmaṇā kena saṃprāptamāyuṣyaṃ cedṛśaṃ vada

Translation

แล้วด้วยความพิศวงใคร่รู้ เขาจึงทูลถามพราหมณ์ผู้ประเสริฐว่า “ด้วยกรรมใดท่านจึงได้อายุยืนเช่นนี้ จงบอกเถิด”

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Desha-Kala (Time/Place adjunct)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय; तद्-प्रातिपदिकात्)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), अपादानार्थ/कालार्थ (from then/thereafter)

• तु: indeed, but
• तु: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अन्वय-अव्यय (but/indeed)

• कौतुकाविष्टः: possessed by curiosity
• कौतुकाविष्टः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कौतुक (प्रातिपदिक) + आविष्ट (आ + विश् धातु, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (implicit subject); तृतीया-तत्पुरुष: कौतुकेन आविष्टः

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• पप्रच्छ: asked
• पप्रच्छ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• द्विजोत्तमम्: the best of the twice-born (brahmin)
• द्विजोत्तमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय-तत्पुरुष: उत्तमः द्विजः

• कर्मणा: by what deed
• कर्मणा: Karana/Hetu (Instrument/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• केन: by which?
• केन: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग-प्रयोग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम

• संप्राप्तम्: obtained, attained
• संप्राप्तम्: Kriya (State/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + प्र + आप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (āyuṣyam) विशेषण

• आयुष्यम्: lifespan, longevity
• आयुष्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयुष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• चेत्: if
• चेत्: Sambandha (Logical connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चेत् (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक-अव्यय

• ईदृशम्: such
• ईदृशम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ईदृश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (āyuṣyam)

• वद: tell
• वद: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (contextual third-person; the questioning brāhmaṇa is referenced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king, now alert and inquisitive, leans forward with folded hands, questioning a venerable brahmin/sage; the atmosphere shifts from despair to attentive listening.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Curiosity is directed toward dharma: longevity and fortune are framed as results of karma, prompting inquiry into righteous causes.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse functions as a narrative hinge within Tīrthamāhātmya; the specific site is elaborated in the following verses of the same adhyāya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed here; it introduces a question about the karmic cause behind merit and long life.