Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 66

Devanagari script

ततस्तानपि भूपालो जघान प्रहसन्निव । वृक्षहस्तस्तु विश्रब्धो लीलया द्विजसत्तमाः

Transliteration

tatastānapi bhūpālo jaghāna prahasanniva | vṛkṣahastastu viśrabdho līlayā dvijasattamāḥ

Translation

Dann schlug der König auch sie nieder, als ob er lachte; mit einem Baum in der Hand, ruhig und furchtlos, tat er es spielerisch – o Beste der Zweimalgeborenen.

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• तान्: them
• तान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुल्लिङ्गे (masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचनम् (plural)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निपात (particle), समुच्चय/अपि-अर्थ (also/even)

• भूपालः: the king
• भूपालः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू + पाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (‘protector of earth’), पुल्लिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• जघान: struck/killed
• जघान: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम् (singular), परस्मैपदम्

• प्रहसन्: laughing
• प्रहसन्: Karta (Agent manner/कर्ता-भाव)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-हस् (धातु) → प्रहसत् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle/शतृ), पुल्लिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (adverbial participle)

• इव: as if
• इव: Sambandha (Simile marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, उपमा-वाचक (comparative particle)

• वृक्षहस्तः: having a tree as (his) weapon/hand
• वृक्षहस्तः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate adjective/कर्तृ-समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृक्ष + हस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास (‘one whose hand is a tree’/‘tree-in-hand’), पुल्लिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निपात (particle)

• विश्रब्धः: confident, unafraid
• विश्रब्धः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate adjective/कर्तृ-समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-श्रभ्/श्रम्भ् (धातु) → विश्रब्ध (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुल्लिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• लीलया: playfully, with ease
• लीलया: Karana (Manner/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लीला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे (feminine), तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचनम् (singular)

• द्विजसत्तमाः: O best of brāhmaṇas
• द्विजसत्तमाः: Sambodhana/Address (Vocative sense though form is nominative; सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (‘best of twice-born’), पुल्लिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator addressing a brāhmaṇa listener; specific speaker not stated in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvija-sattama (explicit vocative)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king, smiling, wields an uprooted tree like a mace; rākṣasas fall around him; his posture is relaxed, almost playful, signaling mastery rather than strain.

Characters & Entities

• Dvija (brāhmaṇa addressee)
• Bhūpāla (king)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Courage grounded in righteousness makes even danger seem light; dharma grants inner steadiness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not stated in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.