Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 79

Devanagari script

अथ तं वीक्ष्य संसिद्धं कुमन्त्रेणापि तस्करम् । ते विप्रा विस्मयाविष्टाः कृपाविष्टा विशेषतः

Transliteration

atha taṃ vīkṣya saṃsiddhaṃ kumantreṇāpi taskaram | te viprā vismayāviṣṭāḥ kṛpāviṣṭā viśeṣataḥ

Translation

Dann, als sie sahen, dass jener Räuber völlig vollendet war—selbst durch ein fehlerhaftes Mantra—wurden die Brāhmaṇas von Staunen ergriffen und besonders von Mitgefühl bewegt.

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भसूचक (sequence/then)

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• वीक्ष्य: having seen
• वीक्ष्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial to main action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वीक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund); पूर्वक्रिया (having seen)

• संसिद्धम्: fully accomplished/empowered
• संसिद्धम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संसिद्ध (प्रातिपदिक; सम्+सिध्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying ‘taskaram’)

• कुमन्त्रेण: by an evil spell
• कुमन्त्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुमन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे; तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/समुच्चयार्थ (also/even)

• तस्करम्: the thief
• तस्करम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तस्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• ते: those
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे; प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन

• विप्राः: Brahmins
• विप्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे; प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन

• विस्मयाविष्टाः: overcome with astonishment
• विस्मयाविष्टाः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विस्मय + आविष्ट (प्रातिपदिक; आ+विश्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे; प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त); ‘विस्मयेन आविष्टाः’ इति तृतीया-तत्पुरुष

• कृपाविष्टाः: filled with compassion
• कृपाविष्टाः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृपा + आविष्ट (प्रातिपदिक; आ+विश्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे; प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त); ‘कृपया आविष्टाः’ (instrumental-tatpurusha)

• विशेषतः: especially
• विशेषतः: Kriya-viseshana (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेषतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/विशेषणार्थ (especially)

Speaker

Unknown (Tīrthamāhātmya narrative voice; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa relating the Māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrim-inquirer/ṛṣi audience (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A group of brāhmaṇa-sages in a forest clearing behold a rugged robber who appears ‘accomplished’/transfigured; their faces show astonishment and compassion.

Characters & Entities

• vipra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual change can arise in unexpected ways; witnessing transformation should awaken compassion rather than condemnation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No named tīrtha appears in this verse; the tīrtha-māhātmya frame suggests the sacred setting supports such transformation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit prescription; it highlights the surprising efficacy of practice and the ethical response of compassion.