Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

नारद उवाच । अथान्यत्संप्रवक्ष्यामि शालामाहात्म्य मुत्तमम् । संस्थापिते पुरा स्थाने प्रोक्तोहं द्विजपुंगवैः

Transliteration

nārada uvāca | athānyatsaṃpravakṣyāmi śālāmāhātmya muttamam | saṃsthāpite purā sthāne proktohaṃ dvijapuṃgavaiḥ

Translation

Sinabi ni Nārada: Ngayon ay ipahahayag ko ang isa pang dakilang salaysay—ang kadakilaan ng Śālā. Noong unang panahon, sa banal na pook na naitatag na, itinuro sa akin ito ng mga mararangal na Brāhmaṇa.

Word by Word

• nāradaḥ: Nārada
• nāradaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nārada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; वक्ता (speaker)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• atha: then
• atha: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भसूचक (then/now)

• anyat: another (matter)
• anyat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म (object)

• saṃpravakṣyāmi: I shall explain fully
• saṃpravakṣyāmi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra+vac (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; उपसर्गः सं-, प्र-

• śālāmāhātmyam: the greatness of Śālā
• śālāmāhātmyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śālā-māhātmya (प्रातिपदिक; शाला + माहात्म्य)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म

• uttamam: excellent
• uttamam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying śālāmāhātmyam)

• saṃsthāpite: when (it was) established
• saṃsthāpite: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saṃ+sthā (धातु) → saṃsthāpita (कृदन्त; क्त)
• Form: सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (स्थाने इति सापेक्षम्); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि (past passive participle)

• purā: formerly
• purā: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: purā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (adverb of time)

• sthāne: in the place
• sthāne: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sthāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरणे

• proktaḥ: was told
• proktaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pra+vac (धातु) → prokta (कृदन्त; क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि (past passive participle)

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• dvijapuṃgavaiḥ: by eminent Brahmins
• dvijapuṃgavaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija-puṃgava (प्रातिपदिक; द्विज + पुंगव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; करण/हेतु (agent/instrument in passive)

Speaker

Nārada

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śālā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nārada, vīṇā in hand, addresses an unseen audience, announcing the next sacred narrative; behind him, a stylized ‘Śālā’ sacred precinct—trees forming a natural hall (śālā), with a small shrine and tīrtha water nearby.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Śālā (holy place/topic)
• Dvija-puṅgava (eminent Brāhmaṇas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred place traditions are transmitted through authoritative lineage—Nārada presents a received teaching about a holy site’s greatness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śālā (as a māhātmya topic), introduced as the next sacred-place narration.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it serves as a narrative preface and source attribution.