Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । प्रश्नभारो महानेष यो भवद्भिरुदाहृतः । कीर्तयिष्ये तथाप्येनं नमस्कृत्य स्वयंभुवे

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | praśnabhāro mahāneṣa yo bhavadbhirudāhṛtaḥ | kīrtayiṣye tathāpyenaṃ namaskṛtya svayaṃbhuve

Translation

Wika ni Sūta: Tunay na mabigat at dakila ang tanong na inyong inihayag. Gayunman, matapos yumuk at magbigay-galang kay Svayambhū, ang Panginoong Kusang-Isinilang, aking isasalaysay ito.

Word by Word

• sūtaḥ: Sūta
• sūtaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट्; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन (he said)

• praśna-bhāraḥ: the burden of questions
• praśna-bhāraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: praśna (प्रातिपदिक) + bhāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन (burden of questions)

• mahān: great
• mahān: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन (great)

• eṣaḥ: this
• eṣaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन (this)

• yaḥ: which
• yaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन (which/that)

• bhavadbhiḥ: by you (hon.)
• bhavadbhiḥ: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhavat (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनामवत्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया; बहुवचन (by you [hon.])

• udāhṛtaḥ: has been stated/raised
• udāhṛtaḥ: Kriya (क्रिया) (as participial predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ud-ā-hṛ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Past Passive Participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन (uttered/raised)

• kīrtayiṣye: I will narrate
• kīrtayiṣye: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kīrtay (धातु; causative of kīrt)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future); उत्तमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद (I will narrate)

• tathā: thus
• tathā: Manner (प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; प्रकारवाचक (thus/so)

• api: even/also
• api: Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात; अपि (even/also)

• enam: this (topic)
• enam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक: ena-)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक; द्वितीया; एकवचन (this/it/him)

• namaskṛtya: having bowed
• namaskṛtya: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas-kṛ (धातु; नामधातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive); अव्ययभाव (having saluted)

• svayaṃbhuve: to Svayaṃbhū (Brahmā)
• svayaṃbhuve: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svayaṃbhū (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी; एकवचन (to Svayaṃbhū, i.e., Brahmā)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Svayambhū (as svayambhū-liṅga principle)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta bows with folded hands toward an unseen Svayambhū presence; a faint liṅga silhouette or radiant pillar of light behind him; sages watch respectfully as the narration begins.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Svayambhū

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred instruction should begin with humility and invocation, acknowledging the divine source of knowledge.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named; it is the formal beginning of the explanatory narration.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Namaskāra (salutation) before discourse is implied as a pious protocol.