Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 102

Devanagari script

तत्कृत्वा नृपतिर्हृष्टस्तं प्रणम्य द्विजोत्तमम् । प्रोवाच कुरु मे वाक्यं यद्ब्रवीमि द्विजोत्तम

Transliteration

tatkṛtvā nṛpatirhṛṣṭastaṃ praṇamya dvijottamam | provāca kuru me vākyaṃ yadbravīmi dvijottama

Translation

Nachdem dies vollbracht war, verneigte sich der König voller Freude vor dem erhabensten der Brāhmaṇas und sprach: „Erfülle mein Wort—was ich nun sagen werde, o Vorderster der Zweimalgeborenen.“

Word by Word

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘that (act)’

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + क्त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); ‘having done’

• नृपतिः: the king
• नृपतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृपति (प्रातिपदिक; नृ + पति)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः

• हृष्टः: delighted
• हृष्टः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हृष् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP used adjectivally), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘delighted’

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• प्रणम्य: having bowed to
• प्रणम्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√नम् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); ‘having bowed’

• द्विजोत्तमम्: the best of Brahmins
• द्विजोत्तमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विजोत्तम (प्रातिपदिक; द्विज + उत्तम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः—‘उत्तमः द्विजः’

• प्रोवाच: said
• प्रोवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• कुरु: do
• कुरु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (enclitic)

• वाक्यम्: word, request
• वाक्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• यत्: which
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative)

• ब्रवीमि: I say
• ब्रवीमि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• द्विजोत्तम: O best of Brahmins
• द्विजोत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विजोत्तम (प्रातिपदिक; द्विज + उत्तम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः

Speaker

Nṛpati (the king)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nāgahrada

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king, delighted, bows deeply to Devaśarman; the brāhmaṇa stands/sits with calm dignity; the pond and ritual items remain in the background, signaling completion and transition to counsel.

Characters & Entities

• nṛpati (king)
• dvijottama (best brāhmaṇa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When dharma yields visible fruit, a righteous king responds with humility and support of brāhmaṇical duty.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Nāgahrada remains the ritual setting whose power prompted the king’s gratitude.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No new rite is prescribed here; it transitions from śrāddha-success to the king’s intention to reward/commission the brāhmaṇa.