Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 62

Devanagari script

अत्र श्लोकः पुरा गीतो मनुना स्मृतिकारिणा । तं तेऽहं संप्रवक्ष्यामि धर्मशास्त्रोद्भवं वचः

Transliteration

atra ślokaḥ purā gīto manunā smṛtikāriṇā | taṃ te'haṃ saṃpravakṣyāmi dharmaśāstrodbhavaṃ vacaḥ

Translation

Hier ist ein Śloka, der einst von Manu, dem Verfasser der Smṛti, gesungen wurde. Nun werde ich euch jenes Wort verkünden, das aus dem Dharmaśāstra hervorgegangen ist.

Word by Word

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (locative adverb: here)

• श्लोकः: a verse
• श्लोकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — कर्ता

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक-क्रियाविशेषण (formerly/once)

• गीतः: recited/sung
• गीतः: Karta (Predicate of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गीतम्/गीत (कृदन्त; गा धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त — 'sung/recited' (predicate adjective of श्लोकः)

• मनुना: by Manu
• मनुना: Karana (Instrument/Agentive instrumental)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन — करण/कर्तृ-निर्देश

• स्मृतिकारिणा: by the composer of the Smṛti
• स्मृतिकारिणा: Karana (Instrument/Agentive instrumental)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्मृति + कारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (स्मृतेः कारिणः) — 'by the author/maker of Smṛti'

• तम्: that (verse)
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — कर्म

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (4th/Dative), एकवचन — 'to you' (enclitic)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — कर्ता

• संप्रवक्ष्यामि: I will explain
• संप्रवक्ष्यामि: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), परस्मैपद, उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; उपसर्ग: सम्+प्र — 'I will explain/tell fully'

• धर्मशास्त्रोद्भवम्: arisen from Dharmaśāstra
• धर्मशास्त्रोद्भवम्: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्मशास्त्र + उद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; पञ्चमी-तत्पुरुष (धर्मशास्त्रात् उद्भवम्) — 'arisen from Dharmaśāstra' (qualifies वचः)

• वचः: statement/words
• वचः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — कर्म

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; likely a Purāṇic narrator continuing the dialogue)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: (contextual) the frame listener(s) and/or participants in the episode

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A narrator-sage pauses the story and formally introduces an ancient śloka of Manu; listeners lean in as if hearing a legal maxim; a manuscript or symbolic ‘dharma’ emblem is shown.

Characters & Entities

• Manu
• Dharmaśāstra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage narratives are grounded in Dharmaśāstra: moral law is cited as the authority for judging actions and their consequences.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse introduces a Dharmaśāstra citation; the surrounding passage later connects to Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra within the Nāgara Khaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly—this verse serves as an authoritative preface to a legal-ethical maxim.