Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

नारद उवाच । अथ ते ददृशुः पार्थ संयमस्थं महामुनिम् । कूर्माख्यानंनामैकादशोऽध्यायः

Transliteration

nārada uvāca | atha te dadṛśuḥ pārtha saṃyamasthaṃ mahāmunim | kūrmākhyānaṃnāmaikādaśo'dhyāyaḥ

Translation

Nārada nói: “Rồi họ thấy bậc đại hiền thánh, an trụ trong tự chế, hỡi con của Pṛthā.” (Tại đây kết thúc chương thứ mười một, gọi là “Chuyện về Kūrma”.)

Word by Word

• नारदः: Narada
• नारदः: Karta (Speaker/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रमसूचक/अनन्तरार्थक (then/thereupon)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (contextual), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• ददृशुः: saw
• ददृशुः: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), परस्मैपद

• पार्थ: O son of Pṛthā (Pārtha)
• पार्थ: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• संयमस्थम्: situated in restraint/discipline
• संयमस्थम्: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संयम-स्थ (प्रातिपदिक; संयम + स्थ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (qualifier)

• महामुनिम्: the great sage
• महामुनिम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महामुनि (प्रातिपदिक; महा + मुनि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• कूर्माख्यानम्: the narration of the tortoise (Kūrma-episode)
• कूर्माख्यानम्: Visheshya (Title/Name)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूर्म-आख्यान (प्रातिपदिक; कूर्म + आख्यान)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• नाम: named
• नाम: Sambandha (Naming marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नामनिर्देशक (particle indicating ‘named/called’)

• एकादशः: eleventh
• एकादशः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एकादश (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (ordinal sense)

• अध्यायः: chapter
• अध्यायः: Karta/Topic (Heading)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अध्याय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Nārada

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kalāpa-grāma (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārtha (Arjuna)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A restrained great sage appears before travelers; the moment is a quiet revelation—pilgrims pausing as the ascetic stands composed, radiating tapas.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Pārtha (address)
• Mahāmuni
• Kūrma-ākhyāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A true sage is recognized by saṃyama—steady self-restraint—signaling inner mastery rather than outer display.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned; the verse functions as a narrative transition and chapter colophon.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it identifies the sage’s discipline and marks the chapter boundary.