Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

कस्यचित्त्वथ कालस्य स राजा तत्पुरोत्तमम् । समभ्येत्य द्विजान्सर्वांस्ततः प्रोवाच सादरम्

Transliteration

kasyacittvatha kālasya sa rājā tatpurottamam | samabhyetya dvijānsarvāṃstataḥ provāca sādaram

Translation

وبعد أن مضى زمنٌ ما، أقبل ذلك الملك إلى أفاضل أهل المدينة؛ ثم وقف بين يدي جميع ذوي الميلادين، وتكلّم بخشوعٍ وإجلال.

Word by Word

• kasyacit: of some
• kasyacit: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kas (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अनिश्चितार्थक (indefinite)

• tu: indeed/but
• tu: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (but/indeed)

• atha: then
• atha: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: आरम्भ/अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (now/then)

• kālasya: time/period
• kālasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• rājā: the king
• rājā: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• tatpurottamam: the best part/foremost (of that city)
• tatpurottamam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + pura (प्रातिपदिक) + uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—‘तस्य पुरस्य उत्तमम्’ (the best of that city)

• samabhyetya: having approached
• samabhyetya: Kriya (Conjunctive action/अनुक्रम-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-abhi-√i (धातु) → samabhyetya (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); ‘समभ्येत्य’ = having approached

• dvijān: Brahmins
• dvijān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• sarvān: all
• sarvān: Karma (Qualifier of object/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रमवाचक (thereupon)

• provāca: said/spoke
• provāca: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra√vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• sādaram: respectfully
• sādaram: Kriya-visheshana (Manner adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sādara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial accusative); ‘स-आदरम्’ = with respect

Speaker

Sūta (narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Garttātīrtha (contextual)

Type: tirtha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king arrives after some time, dismounts or steps down from a palanquin, folds hands before an assembly of dvijas, and begins a respectful address in a civic/temple setting.

Characters & Entities

• King (rājā)
• Dvijas (twice-born)
• City leaders (purottama)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even rulers prosper spiritually by approaching the dharmic community with humility and reverence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative continues within the Garttātīrtha-linked sacred city in Nāgarakhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse frames a respectful approach to the learned before major decisions.