Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

अब्रवीच्च ततस्तां तु ऋचीको मुनिसत्तमः । त्वमेनं चरुकं प्राश्य न्यग्रोधालिंगनं कुरु

Transliteration

abravīcca tatastāṃ tu ṛcīko munisattamaḥ | tvamenaṃ carukaṃ prāśya nyagrodhāliṃganaṃ kuru

Translation

তখন মুনিশ্রেষ্ঠ ঋচীক তাকে বললেন—‘তুমি এই চরু ভক্ষণ করে ন্যগ্রোধ (বট) বৃক্ষকে আলিঙ্গন করো।’

Word by Word

• अब्रवीत्: said
• अब्रवीत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत/Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक/conjunction)

• ततः: then
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) — तदनन्तरम्

• ताम्: to her; her
• ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तु: but; indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (विरोध/अवधारण-निपात/particle)

• ऋचीकः: Ṛcīka
• ऋचीकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋचीक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (व्यक्तिनाम/proper noun)

• मुनिसत्तमः: the best of sages
• मुनिसत्तमः: Apposition (Samānādhikaraṇa/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक) + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (मुनिनां सत्तमः)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, एकवचन

• एनम्: this (one)
• एनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (निकट-निर्देश)

• चरुकम्: caru (sacrificial porridge)
• चरुकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चरुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• प्राश्य: having eaten
• प्राश्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+अश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘having eaten’

• न्यग्रोधालिङ्गनम्: embracing the banyan tree
• न्यग्रोधालिङ्गनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: न्यग्रोध (प्रातिपदिक) + आलिङ्गन (प्रातिपदिक; आ+लिङ्ग् धातु-निष्पन्न)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (न्यग्रोधस्य आलिङ्गनम्)

• कुरु: do
• कुरु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ/Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

Speaker

Sūta narrating (deduced); direct speech by Ṛcīka

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nyagrodha (as ritual-sthala within the episode)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Ṛcīka instructs the woman to eat the consecrated caru and then embrace a great banyan tree, making the tree a visible ritual witness.

Characters & Entities

• Ṛcīka
• Nyagrodha (banyan)
• Caru

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred nature and disciplined observance work together in Purāṇic dharma to channel blessings toward righteous progeny.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse highlights sacred-tree observance rather than naming a specific tīrtha; it remains within the chapter’s tīrtha-māhātmya context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Consumption of the prescribed caru followed by nyagrodha-āliṅgana (embracing the banyan tree).