Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

ईदृशे सति राज्ञोऽपि यौवने च महत्तरे । तत्त्वं वद मुनिश्रेष्ठ येन स्यान्मम संततिः

Transliteration

īdṛśe sati rājño'pi yauvane ca mahattare | tattvaṃ vada muniśreṣṭha yena syānmama saṃtatiḥ

Translation

„Obwohl der König in der vollen Blüte der Jugend steht, ist die Lage doch so. O Bester der Weisen, sage mir das wahre Mittel, durch das ich Nachkommenschaft erlangen kann.“

Word by Word

• ईदृशे: in such (a case)
• ईदृशे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ईदृश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंस/पुं; सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; ‘in such (a situation)’

• सति: when (it) is so
• सति: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/सप्तमीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अस् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त; सप्तमी, एकवचन; ‘being/when existing’ (locative absolute with ईदृशे)

• राज्ञः: of the king (my husband)
• राज्ञः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• अपि: even; also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि-समुच्चय/अपेक्षार्थ (also/even)

• यौवने: in youth
• यौवने: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यौवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (and)

• महत्तरे: in the greatest (prime)
• महत्तरे: Adhikarana (Locus qualifier/अधिकरणविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंस/पुं; सप्तमी, एकवचन; तुलनात्मक/विशेषण (in very great/prime)

• तत्त्वम्: the truth; the principle
• तत्त्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन

• वद: tell; speak
• वद: Kriya (Command/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मुनिश्रेष्ठ: O best of sages
• मुनिश्रेष्ठ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (मुनिषु श्रेष्ठः); पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• येन: by which
• येन: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंस/पुं; तृतीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (by which)

• स्यात्: may be; might arise
• स्यात्: Kriya (Potential/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचन; ‘of me’

• संततिः: progeny; lineage
• संततिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संतति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

The woman (queen/royal lady implied) addressing the sage

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The petitioner explains that despite the king’s youth, there is no progeny; she asks the best of sages to reveal the true method to obtain offspring.

Characters & Entities

• rājā (king)
• muniśreṣṭha (sage)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even worldly advantages (youth, kingship) cannot replace divine grace; one should seek the ‘tattva’—a dharmic, spiritually grounded remedy.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not named in this verse; the chapter belongs to a tīrtha-glorification setting where counsel culminates in a place-linked practice.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it is a request for instruction that is answered in subsequent verses.