Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

ऋषय ऊचुः । तत्र सप्तर्षिभिस्तीर्थं कस्मिन्काले व्यवस्थितम् । विस्तरात्सूतज ब्रूहि परं कौतूहलं हि नः

Transliteration

ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | tatra saptarṣibhistīrthaṃ kasminkāle vyavasthitam | vistarātsūtaja brūhi paraṃ kautūhalaṃ hi naḥ

Translation

เหล่าฤๅษีกล่าวว่า “ณ สถานที่นั้น ตีรถะนี้ถูกสถาปนาโดยสัปตฤๅษีในกาลใด? โอ บุตรแห่งสูตะ จงกล่าวโดยพิสดารเถิด เพราะความใคร่รู้ของเรายิ่งนัก”

Word by Word

• ऋषयः: the sages
• ऋषयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्थानवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• सप्तर्षिभिः: by the seven sages
• सप्तर्षिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सप्त + ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन (Plural)

• तीर्थम्: the sacred ford/pilgrimage place
• तीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• कस्मिन्: in which
• कस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• काले: time
• काले: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• व्यवस्थितम्: was established/situated
• व्यवस्थितम्: Kriya-visheshana (Predicate adjective/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + अव + स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• विस्तरात्: in detail
• विस्तरात्: Hetu/Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विस्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययीभूत (ablatival adverbial usage); प्रकारवाचक (in detail)

• सूतज: O son of Sūta
• सूतज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत + ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• ब्रूहि: tell
• ब्रूहि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• परम्: great/utmost
• परम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• कौतूहलम्: curiosity
• कौतूहलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौतूहल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic/causal particle)

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

Speaker

Ṛṣis (assembled sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣayaḥ (assembled sages)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A forest hermitage assembly: multiple sages seated in a semicircle, addressing Sūta with palms joined, asking about the time and manner of a Saptarṣi-founded tīrtha.

Characters & Entities

• Saptarṣi (Seven Sages)
• Tīrtha
• Sūta (as lineage: sūtaja)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places are understood through lineage, memory, and inquiry—asking for the tīrtha’s origin is itself part of reverent engagement with dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A Saptarṣi-established tīrtha featured in Nāgarakhaṇḍa, Adhyāya 32 (the chapter proceeds to narrate its background).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual act here; it initiates the tīrtha’s origin narration (māhātmya-śravaṇa), a valued devotional practice.