Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

तद्दृष्ट्वा विस्मितः सोऽथ आनर्ताधिपतिर्नृपः । पश्चात्तापं परं चक्रे धिङ्मयैवमनुष्ठितम्

Transliteration

taddṛṣṭvā vismitaḥ so'tha ānartādhipatirnṛpaḥ | paścāttāpaṃ paraṃ cakre dhiṅmayaivamanuṣṭhitam

Translation

সেয়া দেখি আনর্তৰ অধিপতি ৰজা বিস্মিত হ’ল; তাৰ পাছত গভীৰ অনুতাপত পৰি ক’লে—“ধিক মোৰে, মই এনেদৰে আচৰণ কৰিলোঁ!”

Word by Word

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘दृष्ट्वा’ इति कर्म

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive), धातु: दृश्

• विस्मितः: astonished
• विस्मितः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विस्मित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘नृपः’ इति विशेषण

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

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अनुक्रमसूचक/सम्बन्धबोधक (particle: ‘then’)

• आनर्ताधिपतिः: the ruler of Ānarta
• आनर्ताधिपतिः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आनर्त + अधिपति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समास: तत्पुरुष (आनर्तस्य अधिपतिः ‘lord of Ānarta’)

• नृपः: king
• नृपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पश्चात्तापम्: repentance
• पश्चात्तापम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पश्चात्ताप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• परम्: great
• परम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘पश्चात्तापम्’ इति विशेषण

• चक्रे: did/experienced
• चक्रे: Kriyā (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• धिङ्: shame!
• धिङ्: Sambandha (Exclamation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: धिङ् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निन्दावाचक निपात (interjection of censure)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karta (Agent in passive sense/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति (instrumental/करण), एकवचन

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (manner adverb)

• अनुष्ठितम्: done/performed
• अनुष्ठितम्: Karma (Object of implied ‘asti’/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु-स्था (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; ‘कर्म’रूपेण ‘एवम् अनुष्ठितम्’ = ‘thus done’

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya ṛṣis (typical frame; verse addresses 'dvija-śreṣṭha' in nearby context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A royal figure (Ānarta king) stands stunned before a brāhmaṇa; his posture collapses into remorse—head bowed, palms half-folded—while attendants watch in silence near a sacred water-source.

Characters & Entities

• Ānarta
• king (nṛpa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True kingship in Purāṇic dharma includes the capacity for repentance—recognizing wrong conduct and turning toward humility after divine signs.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse does not specify the tīrtha by name; it highlights the Māhātmya pattern where sacred power produces repentance and reform.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; it records the ethical outcome—paścāttāpa (remorse) and self-condemnation after witnessing a sacred wonder.