Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

तस्मादेतन्महाबाहो यथावद्वक्तुमर्हसि । सांप्रतं सूत कार्त्स्न्येन परं कौतूहलं हि नः

Transliteration

tasmādetanmahābāho yathāvadvaktumarhasi | sāṃprataṃ sūta kārtsnyena paraṃ kautūhalaṃ hi naḥ

Translation

Vì vậy, hỡi bậc dũng lực, xin hãy giảng giải điều này cho đúng pháp. Ngay lúc này, thưa Sūta, chúng tôi vô cùng khát khao được nghe trọn vẹn, đầy đủ mọi chi tiết.

Word by Word

• tasmāt: therefore
• tasmāt: Hetu/Conclusion (हेतु/निगमन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक; पञ्चमी; एकवचन (therefore/from that)

• etan: this
• etan: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन (this)

• mahābāho: O mighty-armed one
• mahābāho: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā-bāhu (प्रातिपदिक: महा + बाहु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन; एकवचन (O mighty-armed one)

• yathāvat: properly
• yathāvat: Manner (प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathāvat (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; प्रकारवाचक (properly, in due manner)

• vaktum: to speak
• vaktum: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (Infinitive); अव्ययभाव (to speak)

• arhasi: you should/are fit
• arhasi: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: arh (धातु)
• Form: लट्; मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद (you are able/you ought)

• sāṃpratam: now
• sāṃpratam: Kāla (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sāṃpratam (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्ययम् (at present/now)

• sūta: O Sūta
• sūta: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन; एकवचन (O Sūta)

• kārtsnyena: completely/in full
• kārtsnyena: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kārtsnya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया; एकवचन (with completeness/entirely)

• param: great
• param: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन (supreme/great)

• kautūhalam: curiosity
• kautūhalam: Karta (कर्ता) (as ‘is’ implied)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kautūhala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन (curiosity)

• hi: indeed
• hi: Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात; हेत्वर्थ/निश्चयार्थ (indeed/for)

• naḥ: of us/our
• naḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive) बहुवचन (of us/our)

Speaker

Ṛṣis (Sages)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sūta

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sages with folded hands leaning forward, earnest faces; Sūta seated on a slightly raised seat, holding a staff or manuscript; the atmosphere of a formal question before a long pilgrimage account.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is learned through humble inquiry and complete listening to authoritative tradition-bearers.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None yet; it is a framing verse preparing for tīrtha-related exposition.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual instruction; it requests a comprehensive teaching.