Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

ततस्तानब्रवीद्रामो विनिःश्वस्य मुनीश्वरान् । निषेधस्तोयदानस्य श्रूयतां यन्मया कृतः

Transliteration

tatastānabravīdrāmo viniḥśvasya munīśvarān | niṣedhastoyadānasya śrūyatāṃ yanmayā kṛtaḥ

Translation

তখন রাম গভীর নিশ্বাস ফেলে মুনিশ্রেষ্ঠদের বলল—“আমি যে জলদান থেকে বিরত থেকেছি, তার কারণ শুনুন।”

Word by Word

• ततः: thereupon
• ततः: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तस्मात्/अनन्तरम् (thereupon/then)

• तान्: them
• तान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, बहुवचन; मुनीश्वरान् प्रति

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

• रामः: Rama
• रामः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• विनिःश्वस्य: having sighed
• विनिःश्वस्य: Kriya-viseshana (Converb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + नि + श्वस् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-प्राय (absolutive/gerund) रूप; ‘having sighed’ (विनिःश्वस्य)

• मुनीश्वरान्: the sage-lords
• मुनीश्वरान्: Karma (Addressee as object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, बहुवचन; ‘lords among sages’

• निषेधः: the prohibition
• निषेधः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निषेध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तोय-दानस्य: of water-offering
• तोय-दानस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तोय (प्रातिपदिक) + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी, एकवचन; ‘of giving water (libation)’

• श्रूयताम्: let it be heard
• श्रूयताम्: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/आज्ञार्थ); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि प्रयोगः—‘let it be heard’

• यत्: which
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative pronoun/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative)

• मया: by me
• मया: Kartr-karana (Agent in passive/कर्ता-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• कृतः: done/made
• कृतः: Kriya (Predicate participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; निषेधः इति विशेषण/विधेय

Speaker

Rāma (Jamadagnija/Paraśurāma)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: muni-īśvara-s (ascetics)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rāma exhales deeply, then addresses the sages with controlled speech; the moment is a pivot from action to explanation, with the ritual setting still visible behind them.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma (Jamadagnija/Paraśurāma)
• Munis/Tāpasas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma is often explained through narrative reasoning: rituals are not merely performed, but ethically contextualized through vows and intent.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse belongs to a tīrtha-glorification framework (Tīrthamāhātmya) but does not name the tīrtha in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Toyadāna/jalāñjali (water libation) is referenced, with Rāma explaining his temporary restraint from it.