Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

किमित्थं राज्यभोगांस्त्वं त्यक्त्वा विजनमाश्रितः । किं त्वया विहितं ध्यानं किं रौद्रं संश्रितं तपः

Transliteration

kimitthaṃ rājyabhogāṃstvaṃ tyaktvā vijanamāśritaḥ | kiṃ tvayā vihitaṃ dhyānaṃ kiṃ raudraṃ saṃśritaṃ tapaḥ

Translation

«Warum hast du die königlichen Genüsse aufgegeben und Zuflucht in der Einsamkeit gesucht? Welche Art von Dhyāna hast du aufgenommen, und welcher strengen Askese (tapas) hast du dich anvertraut?»

Word by Word

• kim: why?/what?
• kim: Sambandha (Interrogative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत्-प्रयोगः; प्रश्नार्थक (interrogative particle)

• ittham: thus, in this way
• ittham: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ittham (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार-वाचक (adverb of manner)

• rājya-bhogān: royal enjoyments
• rājya-bhogān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājya (प्रातिपदिक) + bhoga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; बहुवचन

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; मध्यम-पुरुषार्थे (2nd-person pronoun)

• tyaktvā: having abandoned
• tyaktvā: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √tyaj (धातु) + ktvā (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund); पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया

• vijanam: a lonely place
• vijanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vijana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• āśritaḥ: having resorted to
• āśritaḥ: Karta (Predicate/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ā + √śri (धातु) + kta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past participle, intransitive sense); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• kim: what?/why?
• kim: Sambandha (Interrogative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत्-प्रयोगः; प्रश्नार्थक

• tvayā: by you
• tvayā: Kartr (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• vihitam: performed, arranged
• vihitam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi + √dhā (धातु) + kta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन; विशेषणम् (agreeing with dhyānam)

• dhyānam: meditation
• dhyānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhyāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• kim: what?/why?
• kim: Sambandha (Interrogative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत्-प्रयोगः; प्रश्नार्थक

• raudram: fierce, terrible
• raudram: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: raudra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन; विशेषणम् (agreeing with tapaḥ)

• saṃśritam: resorted to, undertaken
• saṃśritam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam + √śri (धातु) + kta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past participle, intransitive sense); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन; विशेषणम् (agreeing with tapaḥ)

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

Speaker

Jīva (addressing Indra/Purandara, by context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: cave

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Jīva confronts the withdrawn figure in a lonely cave/forest clearing; the ascetic sits amid austerity signs, while devas stand behind Jīva; the mood is stern but controlled.

Characters & Entities

• Jīva
• Indra (Purandara, implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True authority is accountable to dharma; when shaken by fault or fear, one may seek solitude and austerity, but must also face responsibility.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not named in this verse; it is part of the narrative that culminates in seeking a sage’s grace connected to sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dhyāna and tapas are referenced generally, not as a specific vow, bath, or donation.