Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

नारद उवाच । अद्य चित्रं महद्दृष्टं व्योम्नोवतरता मया । तच्छृणुष्व महाराज सहैभिर्मुनिपुंगवैः

Transliteration

nārada uvāca | adya citraṃ mahaddṛṣṭaṃ vyomnovataratā mayā | tacchṛṇuṣva mahārāja sahaibhirmunipuṃgavaiḥ

Translation

那罗陀说道：“今日我自天穹下降之时，目睹一件奇妙而重大的事。大王啊，请与诸位上首圣贤一同聆听。”

Word by Word

• नारदः: Narada
• नारदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• अद्य: today
• अद्य: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• चित्रम्: wonderful/strange
• चित्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying)

• महत्: great
• महत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण

• दृष्टम्: seen
• दृष्टम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि-भाव (seen)

• व्योम्नः: from the sky
• व्योम्नः: Apādāna (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्योमन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन

• अवतरता: (while) descending / as you descend
• अवतरता: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-तॄ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद; (अवतरति इत्यस्य संबोधन-प्रयोगे)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

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

• शृणुष्व: listen
• शृणुष्व: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• महाराज: O great king
• महाराज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• सह: together with
• सह: Sahārtha (Accompaniment/सहार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: सह-प्रयोग-अव्यय (preposition-like indeclinable)

• एभिः: with these
• एभिः: Sahārtha (Accompaniment/सहार्थ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन

• मुनिपुंगवैः: with the best of sages
• मुनिपुंगवैः: Sahārtha (Accompaniment/सहार्थ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि + पुंगव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन; (मुनिषु पुंगवाः = श्रेष्ठ-मुनयः)

Speaker

Nārada

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahārāja (king) with assembled sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nārada descends from the sky, veena in hand, arriving before a king seated with an assembly of venerable sages; the atmosphere is charged with portent and wonder.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Mahārāja (King)
• Munipuṅgavas (sages)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred history is transmitted through humble listening (śravaṇa), especially when conveyed by realized sages like Nārada.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it functions as an introductory frame to a dharmic episode.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed here; the implied practice is attentive listening to purāṇic narration.