Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

। ऋषय ऊचुः । शर्मिष्ठातीर्थमित्युक्तं त्वया यच्च महामते । कथं जातं महाभाग किंप्रभावं तु तद्वद

Transliteration

| ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | śarmiṣṭhātīrthamityuktaṃ tvayā yacca mahāmate | kathaṃ jātaṃ mahābhāga kiṃprabhāvaṃ tu tadvada

Translation

Các bậc hiền triết thưa: “Bạch đấng đại trí, ngài đã nhắc đến thánh địa tắm gội mang tên ‘Śarmiṣṭhā-tīrtha’. Bạch bậc phước đức, nơi ấy đã phát sinh thế nào, và có uy lực linh thiêng ra sao? Xin ngài chỉ dạy.”

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), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural)

• शर्मिष्ठातीर्थम्: the Śarmiṣṭhā-tīrtha
• शर्मिष्ठातीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर्मिष्ठा + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular)

• इति: thus/‘as’
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Quotative particle)

• उक्तम्: said/called
• उक्तम्: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: कर्मणि क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Past Passive Participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘(त्वया) उक्तम्’

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana (Agent-instrument in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (Pronoun), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• यत्: which
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (Relative pronoun), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Conjunction)

• महामते: O great-minded one
• महामते: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महामति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Interrogative adverb)

• जातम्: arisen/come to be
• जातम्: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Past Participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘कथं जातम्’

• महाभाग: O fortunate one
• महाभाग: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाभाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• किंप्रभावम्: of what power/effect
• किंप्रभावम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् + प्रभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Particle; emphasis/contrast)

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

• वद: tell
• वद: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Ṛṣis (Sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śarmiṣṭhā-tīrtha

Type: tirtha

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis (sages)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A circle of sages in an āśrama respectfully question the narrator about the origin and power of Śarmiṣṭhā-tīrtha, signaling the start of a new sacred story.

Characters & Entities

• Śarmiṣṭhā-tīrtha
• Ṛṣis

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage tradition begins with inquiry—understanding a tīrtha’s origin and power deepens faith and right practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śarmiṣṭhā-tīrtha, introduced as the next sacred site whose māhātmya will be explained.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a formal request to narrate the tīrtha’s origin and prabhāva (spiritual efficacy).