Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

तथापि च प्रगन्तव्यं स्वपुरं प्रति माध व । बलभद्रसमायुक्तस्तस्मान्नः कुरु मोक्षणम्

Transliteration

tathāpi ca pragantavyaṃ svapuraṃ prati mādha va | balabhadrasamāyuktastasmānnaḥ kuru mokṣaṇam

Translation

Dennoch, o Mādhava, musst du in deine eigene Stadt aufbrechen, begleitet von Balabhadra; so gewähre uns die Erlaubnis, uns ebenfalls zu verabschieden und fortzugehen.

Word by Word

• तथापि: nevertheless
• तथापि: Sambandha-bodhaka (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय) + अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय-समुच्चय; विरोध/अन्वयार्थ (nevertheless)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• प्रगन्तव्यम्: must go / is to be departed
• प्रगन्तव्यम्: Kriyā-sahakārī (Obligation predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: भाव्य/कर्तव्यतार्थक कृदन्त (gerundive; -तव्य); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय (it is to be gone)

• स्वपुरम्: one’s own city
• स्वपुरम्: Karman (Object/Goal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + पुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तत्पुरुष-समास (स्वं पुरम्); द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रति: towards
• प्रति: Gati/Prati (Directional marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति (अव्यय/उपसर्ग)
• Form: अव्यय; दिशावाचक उपपद (towards)

• माधव: O Mādhava
• माधव: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माधव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• बलभद्रसमायुक्तः: accompanied by Balabhadra
• बलभद्रसमायुक्तः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बलभद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + समायुक्त (कृदन्त; √युज् + सम्-आ + क्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (बलभद्रेण समायुक्तः)

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/Reason)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तस्मात् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक: तद्)
• Form: अव्ययवत्-प्रयोग; हेत्वर्थ/अपादानार्थ (therefore/from that reason)

• नः: for us
• नः: Sampradāna (Recipient/for whom)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-रूप (Genitive/Dative enclitic), बहुवचन; अत्र चतुर्थ्यर्थे (for us)

• कुरु: do / make
• कुरु: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मोक्षणम्: release / liberation
• मोक्षणम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोक्षण (प्रातिपदिक; √मुच् + णिच्? + ल्युट्/अन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Kurus and Pāṇḍavas (addressing Mādhava)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A composed farewell: Mādhava prepares to depart with Balabhadra; the Kuru–Pāṇḍavas request permission to leave; chariots or travel preparations in the background, with a final reverent bow at the tīrtha.

Characters & Entities

• Mādhava (Kṛṣṇa/Viṣṇu)
• Balabhadra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even in devotion, duties and journeys continue; devotees seek the Lord’s consent so their actions remain aligned with dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha context is Adhyāya 73 of the Nāgarakhaṇḍa; the narrative frames the site’s sanctity through divine presence and discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the focus is on seeking the Lord’s permission (mokṣaṇam) before departure.