Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

तत्त्वं सूतज नो ब्रूहि विस्तरेण महामते । यथा तेन पुरा पीतो मुनिना पयसांनिधिः

Transliteration

tattvaṃ sūtaja no brūhi vistareṇa mahāmate | yathā tena purā pīto muninā payasāṃnidhiḥ

Translation

“大智的苏多之子啊，请为我们详说其真相：往昔那位牟尼究竟如何饮尽乳海。”

Word by Word

• tattvam: the truth, the real account
• tattvam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tattva (तत्त्व-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• sūtaja: O son of Sūta
• sūtaja: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūta (सूत) + ja (ज) (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• naḥ: to us
• naḥ: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (अस्मद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी (4th/Dative) बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• brūhi: tell
• brūhi: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √brū (ब्रू धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• vistareṇa: in detail
• vistareṇa: Karana (Manner/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vistara (विस्तर-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणार्थे (instrumental of manner)

• mahāmate: O great-minded one
• mahāmate: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (महा) + mati (मति) (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (mahā ca sā matiḥ yasya)

• yathā: how, in what way
• yathā: Sambandha (Manner/यथा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (यथा)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/उपमानवाचक (manner/comparative)

• tena: by him
• tena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• purā: formerly
• purā: Kala-adhikarana (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: purā (पुरा)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• pītaḥ: was drunk
• pītaḥ: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √pā (पा धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• muninā: by the sage
• muninā: Karana (Agent in passive/कर्ता-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (मुनि-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• payasāmnidhiḥ: ocean/treasury of waters
• payasāmnidhiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: payasām (पयस्; षष्ठी बहुवचन) + nidhi (निधि-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

Speaker

Ṛṣayaḥ (the sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kṣīroda-samudra (Ocean of Milk)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sūtaja

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The sages lean forward, palms joined or hands raised in inquiry, requesting a detailed, truthful account; Sūtaja sits poised to narrate, with a subtle visionary hint of the milky ocean behind.

Characters & Entities

• Sūtaja
• Muni (unnamed)
• Payasāṃnidhi (Ocean of Milk)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Seeking ‘tattva’ (the real meaning) is essential before adopting beliefs or practices based on sacred stories.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it introduces the mythic episode that will support the chapter’s tīrtha teaching.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a request for a fuller narration.