Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । आर्सोत्पूर्वं मुनिर्नाम्ना जाबालिरिति विश्रुतः । कौमारब्रह्मचर्येण येन चीर्णं तपः सदा

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | ārsotpūrvaṃ munirnāmnā jābāliriti viśrutaḥ | kaumārabrahmacaryeṇa yena cīrṇaṃ tapaḥ sadā

Translation

Wika ni Sūta: Noong unang panahon ay may isang muni na bantog sa pangalang Jābāli, na laging nagsasagawa ng matinding pagninilay at pagtitika sa pamamagitan ng brahmacarya na iningatan mula pagkabata.

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta (the narrator)
• सूतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• आर्षोत्पूर्वम्: preceded by (the lineage of) Ṛṣis / of rishi-origin
• आर्षोत्पूर्वम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आर्ष + उत्पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd) एकवचन; विशेषण (मुनिम् इति अव्यक्त)

• मुनिः: a sage
• मुनिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• नाम्ना: by name
• नाम्ना: Karana/Hetu (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• जाबालिः: Jābāli
• जाबालिः: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जाबालि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/इत्यर्थक अव्यय (quotative particle)

• विश्रुतः: well-known, renowned
• विश्रुतः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + श्रु (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (मुनिः)

• कौमारब्रह्मचर्येण: by celibacy from boyhood
• कौमारब्रह्मचर्येण: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौमार + ब्रह्मचर्य (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• येन: by whom/through which
• येन: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम

• चीर्णम्: practised, performed
• चीर्णम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चर् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (तपः)

• तपः: austerity, penance
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb of time)

Speaker

Sūta

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis of Naimiṣāraṇya (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta narrates the rise of the young sage Jābāli—matted hair, deer-skin, calm gaze—absorbed in brahmacarya and daily austerities, suggesting a forest-āśrama atmosphere before the tīrtha episode unfolds.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Jābāli
• Brahmacarya
• Tapas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual authority in Purāṇic narratives is grounded in lifelong discipline—brahmacarya and tapas—making the sage’s words (including curses/boons) potent.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse introduces Jābāli as part of the Citrapīṭha/Citreśvara sthala-kathā, though the place name is not repeated here.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed; the verse establishes the ascetic credentials of Jābāli for the unfolding tīrtha-legend.