Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 60

Devanagari script

बृहद्बल उवाच । कथं मे स्यान्मुनिश्रेष्ठ कुष्ठव्याधिपरिक्षयः । तपसा नियमेनापि व्रतेनापि कृतेन वै

Transliteration

bṛhadbala uvāca | kathaṃ me syānmuniśreṣṭha kuṣṭhavyādhiparikṣayaḥ | tapasā niyamenāpi vratenāpi kṛtena vai

Translation

Bṛhadbala sprach: „O bester der Weisen, wie kann meine Lepra und Krankheit völlig vernichtet werden – durch Askese, durch Disziplinen oder durch ein rechtmäßig vollzogenes Gelübde?“

Word by Word

• बृहद्बलः: Bṛhadbala
• बृहद्बलः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बृहद्बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समासः—बृहत् + बल (विशेषण-विशेष्यभावः)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/लिट्), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• मे: for me/of me
• मे: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive)

• स्यात्: may there be / would occur
• स्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधिलिङ्), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• मुनिश्रेष्ठ: O best of sages
• मुनिश्रेष्ठ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनिश्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; समासः—मुनीनां श्रेष्ठः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• कुष्ठव्याधिपरिक्षयः: complete destruction of the leprosy-disease
• कुष्ठव्याधिपरिक्षयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुष्ठ + व्याधि + परिक्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समासः—कुष्ठस्य व्याधेः परिक्षयः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष, बहुपद)

• तपसा: by austerity
• तपसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; साधन (means)

• नियमेन: by observance/discipline
• नियमेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नियम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; साधन

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Discourse Particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपेक्षार्थक निपात (also/even)

• व्रतेन: by a vow
• व्रतेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; साधन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Discourse Particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (also/even)

• कृतेन: performed/done
• कृतेन: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; (व्रतेन) इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• वै: indeed
• वै: Discourse Particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

Speaker

Bṛhadbala

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Viśvāmitra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A leprosy-afflicted king, humbled, addresses a radiant sage; his posture shifts from royal pride to earnest inquiry about tapas, niyama, and vrata.

Characters & Entities

• Bṛhadbala
• Muni (addressed as muniśreṣṭha)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Suffering is approached through dharma: one seeks purification and healing through tapas, disciplined living, and properly observed vows.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sets up the forthcoming glorification of a sacred kṣetra (holy field) in the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya where Sūrya worship grants healing.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific ritual is prescribed yet; the king asks whether tapas, niyama, or a vrata can bring about the cure.