Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

वक्त्रशुद्धिकृते राजन्विशेषेण प्रहर्षिताः

Transliteration

vaktraśuddhikṛte rājanviśeṣeṇa praharṣitāḥ

Translation

O König, sie waren in besonderem Maße erfreut, denn es bewirkte die Reinigung des Mundes (und der Rede).

Word by Word

• वक्त्रशुद्धिकृते: in/for the act of mouth-purification
• वक्त्रशुद्धिकृते: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वक्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + शुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक) + कृ (धातु) → कृत (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; ‘वक्त्र-शुद्धि’ इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः, ‘कृते’ = कृत (कृदन्त) इत्यस्य सप्तमी एकवचन; अर्थः ‘वक्त्रशुद्ध्यर्थे/वक्त्रशुद्धौ’ (locative of purpose/context)

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• विशेषेण: especially
• विशेषेण: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषण-प्रयोगः (instrumental used adverbially)

• प्रहर्षिताः: were delighted
• प्रहर्षिताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + हृष् (धातु) → प्रहर्षित (कृदन्त, भूतकर्मणि/क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतकालिक विशेषण (past participle)

Speaker

Narrator (purāṇic ākhyāna voice) addressing the king

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nāgālaya / Nāgālana (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājā (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A royal assembly near a nāga-enclosure; attendants rejoice as a purifying substance is praised for cleansing mouth and speech.

Characters & Entities

• Rājan (king)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity is not only external; sacred contact refines speech and inner cleanliness, supporting dharmic living.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The benefit is tied to the sacred growth described in the Nandana-vana setting, though the verse itself names no tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An implied practice is consuming or using the sacred leaves for vaktra-śuddhi, but no detailed rite is specified.