Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

तस्मान्नाहं करिष्यामि राज्यं ब्राह्मणसत्तमाः । तीर्थेऽत्रैवाधुना नित्यं चरिष्यामि महत्तपः

Transliteration

tasmānnāhaṃ kariṣyāmi rājyaṃ brāhmaṇasattamāḥ | tīrthe'traivādhunā nityaṃ cariṣyāmi mahattapaḥ

Translation

Darum, o vortrefflichste Brahmanen, werde ich nicht länger nach Königtum streben. Hier an diesem Tīrtha werde ich von nun an beständig große Askese üben.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: from that; therefore
• तस्मात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम-शब्दः; नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग-प्रयोगे (तद्); पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (निषेध-अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; उत्तमपुरुष-प्रयोग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• करिष्यामि: I will do
• करिष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• राज्यम्: kingdom; rule
• राज्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• ब्राह्मणसत्तमाः: O best of Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणसत्तमाः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सम्बोधनार्थे (vocative sense though form = nominative plural)

• तीर्थे: in the sacred ford/place
• तीर्थे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (देशवाचक-अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• एव: indeed; only
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (निपात-अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अवधारणार्थक-निपात (emphatic particle)

• अधुना: now
• अधुना: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अधुना (कालवाचक-अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण नपुंसक-एकवचन-द्वितीया/प्रथमा (adverbial accusative)

• चरिष्यामि: I will practice; I will perform
• चरिष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• महत्: great
• महत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying तपः)

• तपः: austerity; penance
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

King (implied)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: brāhmaṇas (addressed as brāhmaṇa-sattamāḥ)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king, removing royal insignia, stands on the bank of a sacred waterbody near a tīrtha shrine, declaring he will abandon kingship and remain there for great austerities; brāhmaṇas witness the vow.

Characters & Entities

• King
• Brāhmaṇas
• Śaṅkha-tīrtha (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True purification culminates in inner transformation—turning from power toward sustained spiritual discipline.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śaṅkha-tīrtha, where the king resolves to remain and practice tapas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tīrtha-vāsa (staying at the holy place) and nitya-tapas (regular austerity) as a dhārmic response to grace received.