Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । तथान्या लोहयष्टिस्तु तस्मिन्क्षेत्रेऽतिशोभना । मुक्ता परशुरामेण भंक्त्वा निजकुठारकम्

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | tathānyā lohayaṣṭistu tasminkṣetre'tiśobhanā | muktā paraśurāmeṇa bhaṃktvā nijakuṭhārakam

Translation

苏多说道：同样地，在那神圣之地还有另一处极其辉耀的“铁杖”（Lohayaṣṭi）；那是帕罗修罗摩在折断自己之斧后所建立的。

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta (the narrator)
• सूतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• तथा: thus; likewise
• तथा: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• अन्या: another
• अन्या: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• लोहयष्टिः: iron staff/rod
• लोहयष्टिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोह + यष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (लोहेन/लोहस्य यष्टिः)

• तु: indeed; but
• तु: Sambandha-bodhaka (Connector/सम्बन्धसूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निपात (particle)

• तस्मिन्: in that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• क्षेत्रे: in the sacred field/place
• क्षेत्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• अतिशोभना: very splendid
• अतिशोभना: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अति + शोभन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• मुक्ता: released; set free
• मुक्ता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; (स्त्रीलिङ्ग-प्रातिपदिकरूपेण)

• परशुरामेण: by Paraśurāma
• परशुरामेण: Karana/Agent-Instrument (Instrument/कर्ता-हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परशुराम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• भङ्क्त्वा: having broken
• भङ्क्त्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भञ्ज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable verbal)

• निजकुठारकम्: his own small axe
• निजकुठारकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निज + कुठारक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (निजः कुठारकः)

Speaker

Sūta (explicit)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Lohayaṣṭi (within the unnamed kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis (dvija-sattamāḥ addressed in surrounding context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Within a luminous kṣetra, an iron staff stands as a revered emblem; Paraśurāma is remembered as having broken his axe and established this staff as a sign of transformation.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Paraśurāma
• Lohayaṣṭi
• Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (implied by “tasmin kṣetre”)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Holy places preserve dharma through sacred markers and saintly deeds; Paraśurāma’s act becomes part of the kṣetra’s living memory.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra broadly, introducing a notable feature called Lohayaṣṭi within the kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly in this opening verse; it begins a new episode describing a sacred landmark.