Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

विश्वामित्र उवाच । न ब्राह्मण्यात्परं किंचित्प्रार्थयामि सुरेश्वर

Transliteration

viśvāmitra uvāca | na brāhmaṇyātparaṃ kiṃcitprārthayāmi sureśvara

Translation

Viśvāmitra sprach: „O Herr der Götter, ich erbitte nichts außer dem Stand des Brahmanen.“

Word by Word

• viśvāmitraḥ: Viśvāmitra
• viśvāmitraḥ: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśvāmitra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (वच् धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (negation particle)

• brāhmaṇyāt: than brahminhood
• brāhmaṇyāt: Apadana (Standard of comparison/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• param: anything else/superior
• param: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘other/superior’; तुलनार्थक-प्रयोगः

• kiṃcit: anything
• kiṃcit: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; अनिश्चित-प्रयोगः (‘anything’)

• prārthayāmi: I request
• prārthayāmi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + √arth (अर्थ् धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• sureśvara: O lord of the gods
• sureśvara: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sura (प्रातिपदिक) + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सुराणाम् ईश्वरः)

Speaker

Viśvāmitra

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Indra (Sureśvara)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viśvāmitra, serene and unwavering, repeats that nothing beyond brāhmaṇya is desired; Indra appears subdued, recognizing the ascetic’s purity of purpose.

Characters & Entities

• Viśvāmitra
• Indra (Sureśvara)
• Brāhmaṇya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual focus is praised: the seeker rejects lesser rewards in favor of the highest dharmic attainment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is directly mentioned; the verse functions as a doctrinal emphasis within the māhātmya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it underscores the intention behind austerity rather than a specific rite.