Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

साहाय्यार्थं तदादेशो दीयतां प्रपितामह । येन कुर्मो वयं शीघ्रं नागराज्ये ह्यधिष्ठिताः

Transliteration

sāhāyyārthaṃ tadādeśo dīyatāṃ prapitāmaha | yena kurmo vayaṃ śīghraṃ nāgarājye hyadhiṣṭhitāḥ

Translation

Zum Beistand gewähre jenen Befehl, o Urgroßvater; damit wir, im Königtum der Nāgas gefestigt, unsere Pflicht rasch vollbringen können.

Word by Word

• साहाय्य: help, assistance
• साहाय्य: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साहाय्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• अर्थम्: for the purpose
• अर्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थे (purpose)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• आदेशः: command, instruction
• आदेशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• दीयताम्: let it be given
• दीयताम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• प्रपितामह: O great-grandfather
• प्रपितामह: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रपितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/vocative), एकवचन

• येन: by which
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; साधनार्थे

• कुर्मः: we do / we shall do
• कुर्मः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• वयम्: we
• वयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन

• शीघ्रम्: quickly
• शीघ्रम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शीघ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• नागराज्ये: in the kingdom of the Nāgas
• नागराज्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नागराज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle), अवधारण/हेतु-भाव

• अधिष्ठिताः: established, installed
• अधिष्ठिताः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधि-स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (वयम्)

Speaker

Nāgas (petitioning Brahmā), narrated by Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nāgatīrtha (implied)

Type: tirtha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A council-like moment: Nāgas, dignified and alert, petition the Pitāmaha for a decisive command; the atmosphere is urgent, ritual-centric, and protective.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Nāgas
• Nāgarājya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Right action is guided by right instruction; even rulers seek dharmic direction before acting, modeling disciplined governance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The request occurs within the Nāgatīrtha-māhātmya narrative frame, which glorifies the Nāga-associated tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a petition for guidance to render assistance, set within the tīrtha’s wider sacred narrative.