Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मणा ऊचुः । एवं पार्थिवशार्दूल करिष्यामः समाहिताः । तव देवकृते यत्नं यात्राद्यासु क्रियासु च

Transliteration

brāhmaṇā ūcuḥ | evaṃ pārthivaśārdūla kariṣyāmaḥ samāhitāḥ | tava devakṛte yatnaṃ yātrādyāsu kriyāsu ca

Translation

Die Brāhmaṇas sprachen: „So werden wir es tun, o Tiger unter den Königen, gesammelt und wachsam. Um deinetwillen und um der Sache der Gottheit willen werden wir uns in Pilgerfahrten und auch in anderen heiligen Handlungen eifrig mühen.“

Word by Word

• ब्राह्मणाः: the brāhmaṇas
• ब्राह्मणाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• पार्थिव-शार्दूल: O tiger among kings
• पार्थिव-शार्दूल: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थिव (प्रातिपदिक) + शार्दूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (पार्थिवः शार्दूल इव)

• करिष्यामः: we will do
• करिष्यामः: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• समाहिताः: attentive, composed
• समाहिताः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समाहित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; सम्-आ-धा)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त), विशेषण

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• देव-कृते: for the god’s sake / for (your) deity-related purpose
• देव-कृते: Prayojana (प्रयोजन/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + कृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे ‘कृते’ (for the sake of); तत्पुरुष (देवस्य कृते)

• यत्नम्: effort
• यत्नम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• यात्रा-आद्यasu: in (activities) such as pilgrimages, etc.
• यात्रा-आद्यasu: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यात्रा (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (यात्रा आदिः यस्याः/येषाम्) = ‘in (rites) beginning with pilgrimage’

• क्रियासु: in rites/acts
• क्रियासु: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रिया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

Speaker

Brāhmaṇas

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Niṣadhā-purī Śambhu-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: the king (pārthiva-śārdūla)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A group of brāhmaṇas vow before the king: they will diligently conduct pilgrimages and sacred rites; scrolls, ritual implements, and a route-map motif suggest organized yātrā.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇas
• King (implied)
• Deva (Śiva implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places endure through collective responsibility—ritual, pilgrimage, and disciplined service carried by the community.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The ongoing worship system of the Naleśvara/Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra setting in Niṣadhā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Yātrā (pilgrimage) and related religious observances (kriyā) undertaken with focused intent.