Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 87

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । तच्छ्रुत्वा संप्रहृष्टात्मा दधीचिर्भगवान्मुनिः । अत्यजज्जीवितं तेषां हितार्थाय दिवौकसाम्

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | tacchrutvā saṃprahṛṣṭātmā dadhīcirbhagavānmuniḥ | atyajajjīvitaṃ teṣāṃ hitārthāya divaukasām

Translation

Sūta sprach: Als er dies vernahm, gab der selige Weise Dadhīci, von Freude im Herzen erfüllt, sein Leben hin zu ihrem Nutzen, zum Heil der Himmelsbewohner.

Word by Word

• सूत: Sūta (the narrator)
• सूत: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular); परस्मैपदम्

• तत्: that (statement)
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable verbal)

• सम्प्रहृष्टात्मा: whose mind was delighted
• सम्प्रहृष्टात्मा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-प्र-हृष् (धातु) + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); बहुव्रीहिः—‘सम्प्रहृष्टः आत्मा यस्य सः’

• दधीचिः: Dadhīci
• दधीचिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दधीचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• भगवान्: venerable; blessed
• भगवान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषणम् (adjectival) मुनिः/दधीचिः इति

• मुनिः: sage
• मुनिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• अत्यजत्: abandoned; gave up
• अत्यजत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular); परस्मैपदम्; उपसर्गः अति-

• जीवितम्: life
• जीवितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जीवित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• तेषाम्: for them; of them
• तेषाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine/Generic), षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• हितार्थाय: for (their) welfare
• हितार्थाय: Sampradana (Beneficiary/Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हित (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), चतुर्थी (Dative/4th), एकवचन (Singular); प्रयोजनवाचक (purpose)

• दिवौकसाम्: of the dwellers in heaven (gods)
• दिवौकसाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिव् (प्रातिपदिक) + ओकस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Naimiṣa (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta narrates: Dadhīci, serene and inwardly delighted, consciously relinquishes life for the devas’ welfare; devas stand humbled, hands folded, as the sage’s body becomes a sacred offering.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Dadhīci
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Supreme renunciation (tyāga) undertaken for others’ welfare is praised as a pinnacle of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse does not name a tīrtha; it elevates the Māhātmya mood by highlighting saintly sacrifice as spiritually meritorious.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the focus is on voluntary renunciation as a sacred act.