Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

अथ दृष्टः शुकस्तैश्च भ्रममाणैर्महावने । भोभोः शुक त्वया वह्निर्यदि दृष्टो निवेद्यताम्

Transliteration

atha dṛṣṭaḥ śukastaiśca bhramamāṇairmahāvane | bhobhoḥ śuka tvayā vahniryadi dṛṣṭo nivedyatām

Translation

پھر جب وہ گھنے جنگل میں بھٹک رہے تھے تو انہوں نے ایک طوطا دیکھا۔ “اے طوطے! اگر تُو نے آگ (اگنی) کو دیکھا ہو تو ہمیں خبر دے۔”

Word by Word

• अथ: then, thereafter
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भसूचक (indeclinable; then/thereupon)

• दृष्टः: seen
• दृष्टः: Karma (Object-state/कर्मभाव)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, past passive participle); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे ‘seen’

• शुकः: the parrot
• शुकः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• तैः: by them
• तैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

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

• भ्रममाणैः: by (those) wandering
• भ्रममाणैः: Karana (Instrument/agentive-instrument/करण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भ्रम् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त, present active participle); पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; ‘wandering’

• महावने: in the great forest
• महावने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महावन (प्रातिपदिक: महा + वन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरण (locative)

• भोभोः: hey! hey!
• भोभोः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भोः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बोधन-निपात (vocative particle), पुनरुक्ति ‘भो भोः’

• शुक: O parrot
• शुक: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana (Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• वह्निः: fire
• वह्निः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वह्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Condition marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्तसूचक (conditional particle)

• दृष्टः: (has been) seen
• दृष्टः: Karma (Object-state/कर्मभाव)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘seen’ (predicate)

• निवेद्यताम्: let it be reported
• निवेद्यताम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + विद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद/कर्मणि-प्रयोग (let it be reported/informed)

Speaker

Devas (collectively)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A band of radiant devas wander through a dense forest and halt before a perched parrot; they address it urgently, asking whether it has seen the hidden Fire.

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Śuka (parrot)
• Vahni (Agni)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cooperation and truthful communication are dharmic tools for resolving संकट (crisis); even small beings can aid a cosmic task.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse does not name a particular tīrtha; it is part of the chapter’s narrative backdrop.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None is stated in this verse.