Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

ऋषय ऊचुः । मृगतीर्थं कथं तत्र संजातं सूतनंदन । किं प्रभावं समाचक्ष्व परं कौतूहलं हि नः

Transliteration

ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | mṛgatīrthaṃ kathaṃ tatra saṃjātaṃ sūtanaṃdana | kiṃ prabhāvaṃ samācakṣva paraṃ kautūhalaṃ hi naḥ

Translation

Các hiền triết thưa rằng: “Hỡi con của Sūta, Mṛgatīrtha đã phát sinh nơi ấy bằng cách nào? Xin hãy nói cho chúng tôi về uy lực của nó, vì lòng hiếu kỳ của chúng tôi thật lớn lao.”

Word by Word

• ऋषयः: the sages
• ऋषयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural)

• मृगतीर्थम्: the Deer-tīrtha (holy ford)
• मृगतीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृग (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• संजातम्: arose / came into being
• संजातम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + जन् (धातु)
• Form: कृत्-प्रत्यय: क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगार्थ (PPP: 'arisen/come into being')

• सूतनन्दन: O son of Sūta
• सूतनन्दन: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक) + नन्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रभावम्: power, efficacy
• प्रभावम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• समाचक्ष्व: tell / explain
• समाचक्ष्व: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + चक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• परम्: great, supreme
• परम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying)

• कौतूहलम्: curiosity
• कौतूहलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौतूहल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; emphasis/causal nuance)

• नः: of us / our
• नः: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural) — enclitic form

Speaker

Ṛṣis (sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mṛgatīrtha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sūta-nandana (Sūta-putra)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An assembly of sages seated in a forest hermitage, respectfully questioning Sūta’s son about the origin and power of Mṛgatīrtha; palm-leaf manuscripts, sacrificial fires, and a calm didactic atmosphere.

Characters & Entities

• Ṛṣis
• Sūta
• Mṛgatīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharmic inquiry is honored: understanding a tīrtha’s origin and power deepens faith and right practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Mṛgatīrtha, whose origin and prabhāva the sages request.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse introduces a question leading to the tīrtha’s origin narrative.