Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

रोचये युक्तिविदहं न हि त्वां भीषयामि भोः । अतः क्रतुसमारंभात्पूर्वं दिग्विजयं कुरु

Transliteration

rocaye yuktividahaṃ na hi tvāṃ bhīṣayāmi bhoḥ | ataḥ kratusamāraṃbhātpūrvaṃ digvijayaṃ kuru

Translation

I, who know the proper means, speak to persuade you; I do not seek to frighten you, O king. Therefore, before beginning the sacrifice, undertake the conquest of the quarters.

Word by Word

• rocaye: I approve / I find pleasing
• rocaye: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ruc (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (Singular); परस्मैपद; causative sense possible in context (प्रेरणार्थ)

• yuktivit: one who knows strategy
• yuktivit: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yukti + vid (प्रातिपदिक; विद्-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—युक्तिं वेत्ति इति (षष्ठी/उपपद-तत्पुरुष)

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन (Singular)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• hi: indeed / for
• hi: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• tvām: you
• tvām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन (Singular)

• bhīṣayāmi: I frighten
• bhīṣayāmi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhīṣ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (Singular); परस्मैपद; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative): भीषयति = भयम् उत्पादयति

• bhoḥ: O!
• bhoḥ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bhoḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बोधन-निपात (vocative particle)

• ataḥ: therefore
• ataḥ: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थ/तस्मात्-अर्थ (therefore)

• kratu-samārambhāt: from the commencement of the sacrifice
• kratu-samārambhāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kratu + samārambha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), पञ्चमी (5th case/ablative), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—क्रतोः समारम्भः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• pūrvam: beforehand
• pūrvam: Kala/Desha (Adverbial/काल-देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pūrva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• digvijayam: conquest of the quarters
• digvijayam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dik + vijaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—दिशां विजयः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• kuru: do / perform
• kuru: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular); परस्मैपद

Speaker

Kṛṣṇa

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/assembly (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kṛṣṇa, calm and persuasive, addresses Yudhiṣṭhira in the royal hall, advising digvijaya before the sacrificial commencement; attendants and ritual paraphernalia hint at impending Rājasūya.

Characters & Entities

• Digvijaya
• Kratu (sacrifice)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True guidance is persuasive and dharmic, not coercive; right order of actions is itself a form of righteousness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific site is named; the verse contributes to the Setukhaṇḍa narrative context rather than direct tīrtha-stuti.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A sequencing rule: complete digvijaya prior to initiating the sacrificial performance.