Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । तथान्येऽपि वसन्तीह रुद्रा एकादशैव तु । सञ्जाता ब्राह्मणश्रेष्ठा मुनीनां हितकाम्यया

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | tathānye'pi vasantīha rudrā ekādaśaiva tu | sañjātā brāhmaṇaśreṣṭhā munīnāṃ hitakāmyayā

Translation

سوت نے کہا: یہاں دیگر رُدر بھی قیام پذیر ہیں—واقعی گیارہ ہی—اے برہمنوں کے سردار، جو رِشیوں کی بھلائی کی خواہش سے ظاہر ہوئے ہیں۔

Word by Word

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

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• tathā: thus; likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• anye: others
• anye: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; बहुवचन

• api: also; even
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• vasanti: dwell; reside
• vasanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vas (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present); प्रथमपुरुष; बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• iha: here
• iha: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (adverb of place)

• rudrāḥ: Rudras
• rudrāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rudra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; बहुवचन

• ekādaśa: eleven
• ekādaśa: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ekādaśan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्दः; प्रथमा विभक्ति; बहुवचनार्थे (qualifying rudrāḥ)

• eva: indeed; only
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• tu: but; and
• tu: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/अन्वय (conjunctive particle)

• sañjātāḥ: born; arisen
• sañjātāḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam-jan (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन; विशेषण (to rudrāḥ)

• brāhmaṇaśreṣṭhāḥ: O best of Brāhmaṇas
• brāhmaṇaśreṣṭhāḥ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa-śreṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक; ब्राह्मण + श्रेष्ठ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; बहुवचन; संबोधनार्थे अपि (addressing the sages)

• munīnām: of the sages
• munīnām: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्ति (Genitive/6th); बहुवचन

• hitakāmyayā: with the desire for (their) welfare
• hitakāmyayā: Karana/Hetu (Cause/करण-हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hita-kāmya (प्रातिपदिक; हित + काम्य)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd); एकवचन; हेतु/निमित्त (cause)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (implied by continuity)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas/sages (Śaunaka-led assembly)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta narrates to assembled sages: the sacred region is shown with eleven Rudra forms subtly present—some as ascetic Śiva, some fierce guardians—surrounding hermitages, indicating protection and blessing.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Rudras
• Munis

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places are portrayed as living abodes of Rudra-power, established for the spiritual protection and welfare of seekers.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse continues the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya sacred-region framework (immediately following the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra narrative unit).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; it identifies the presence of eleven Rudras as a basis for later worship/benefit statements.