Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

ततः संमंत्र्य सुचिरं मंत्रिभिः सहितो नृपः । ब्राह्मणैर्धर्मशास्त्रज्ञैस्तथान्यैर्वेदपारगैः

Transliteration

tataḥ saṃmaṃtrya suciraṃ maṃtribhiḥ sahito nṛpaḥ | brāhmaṇairdharmaśāstrajñaistathānyairvedapāragaiḥ

Translation

তখন রাজা মন্ত্রীদের সঙ্গে বহুক্ষণ পরামর্শ করলেন—ধর্মশাস্ত্রজ্ঞ ব্রাহ্মণদের এবং বেদে পারদর্শী অন্যান্য পণ্ডিতদের সহিত।

Word by Word

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) = indeclinable adverb; अर्थे: तस्मात्/अनन्तरम् (thereafter)

• संमंत्र्य: having consulted
• संमंत्र्य: Kriya (Gerundial action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + मन्त्र् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); सम्-उपसर्गपूर्वक मन्त्र्-धातोः; अव्ययभावः; अर्थः: संमन्त्र्य = having consulted

• सुचिरम्: for a long time
• सुचिरम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सुचिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावेन क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण (adverbial use of neuter accusative); अर्थः: दीर्घकालम् (for a long time)

• मंत्रिभिः: with ministers
• मंत्रिभिः: Sahakari (Association/सहकारि; सह-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मंत्रिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; अर्थः: मन्त्रिभिः = with ministers

• सहितः: accompanied (together)
• सहितः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सहित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, past passive participle) √सह्/सह (धातु) ‘to accompany’; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifies नृपः)

• नृपः: the king
• नृपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• ब्राह्मणैः: with Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणैः: Sahakari (Association/सहकारि)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; सह-सम्बन्धे (in association)

• धर्मशास्त्रज्ञैः: knowing the dharma-śāstras
• धर्मशास्त्रज्ञैः: Sahakari (Association/सहकारि)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्मशास्त्र-ज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक); घटकौ: धर्म + शास्त्र + ज्ञ
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifies ब्राह्मणैः); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/उपपद-तत्पुरुष: धर्मशास्त्रं जानन्ति इति (knowers of dharma-śāstra)

• तथा: and also
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/उपमानार्थक) = indeclinable; अर्थः: तथा = and also/likewise

• अन्यैः: with other (people)
• अन्यैः: Sahakari (Association/सहकारि)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifies implied ब्राह्मणैः/जनैः)

• वेदपारगैः: versed in the Vedas
• वेदपारगैः: Sahakari (Association/सहकारि)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वेद-पारग (प्रातिपदिक); घटकौ: वेद + पारग
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; विशेषणम्; तत्पुरुष: वेदानां पारगाः = those who have gone to the far shore of the Vedas (fully learned)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A royal court: the king seated with ministers; a circle of aged brāhmaṇas holding palm-leaf manuscripts; quiet, weighty deliberation under lamplight.

Characters & Entities

• Nṛpa (king)
• Ministers
• Brāhmaṇas
• Dharmaśāstra
• Vedas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Righteous rule requires counsel grounded in śāstra—consulting the learned before acting.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; it highlights dhārmic deliberation.