Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ऋषय ऊचुः । यास्त्वया देवताः प्रोक्ताश्चतस्रः सूतनंदन । चमत्कारी महित्था च महालक्ष्मीस्तथाऽपरा

Transliteration

ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | yāstvayā devatāḥ proktāścatasraḥ sūtanaṃdana | camatkārī mahitthā ca mahālakṣmīstathā'parā

Translation

เหล่าฤๅษีกล่าวว่า: โอ บุตรแห่งสูตะ ท่านได้กล่าวถึงเทวีทั้งสี่—จมัตการี มหิตถา และอีกองค์คือมหาลักษมี

Word by Word

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

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• याः: which (feminine plural)
• याः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Kartr-karana (Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया, एकवचन

• देवताः: goddesses/deities
• देवताः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• प्रोक्ताः: were spoken/mentioned
• प्रोक्ताः: Karma-bhava (Predicate participle/कर्मभाव)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) + प्र-उपसर्ग + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; देवताः-सम्बन्धि

• चतस्रः: four
• चतस्रः: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतस् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; संख्या-विशेषण (numeral adjective) देवताः-सम्बन्धि

• सूतनन्दन: O son of Sūta
• सूतनन्दन: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत + नन्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (सूतस्य नन्दनः)

• चमत्कारी: Camatkārī
• चमत्कारी: Apposition (Name/विशेषण-नाम)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चमत्कारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; देवता-विशेष-नाम (proper name)

• महित्था: Mahitthā
• महित्था: Apposition (Name/विशेषण-नाम)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महित्था (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; देवता-विशेष-नाम

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• महालक्ष्मीः: Mahālakṣmī
• महालक्ष्मीः: Apposition (Name/विशेषण-नाम)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + लक्ष्मी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (महती लक्ष्मीः)

• तथा: and likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय/प्रकारवाचक (thus/also)

• अपरा: another (one)
• अपरा: Apposition/Qualifier (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (देवता)

Speaker

Ṛṣis (Sages)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sūtanandana (son of Sūta)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A circle of sages addresses Sūtanandana, asking about four deities—Camatkārī, Mahitthā, Mahālakṣmī, and another—setting a tone of curiosity and reverence.

Characters & Entities

• Sūtanandana (addressed)
• Camatkārī
• Mahitthā
• Mahālakṣmī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage narratives proceed through inquiry and clarification, emphasizing careful remembrance of the kṣetra’s presiding deities.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra milieu in Nāgarakhaṇḍa, where multiple local deities are enumerated.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is an interrogative setup for a fuller description of the deities and their māhātmya.