Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 56

Devanagari script

उपाव्रज्य च हा कष्टं ब्रुवंस्तं नंदभद्रकम् । दधिकर्ण इवासाद्य नंदभद्रमुवाच सः

Transliteration

upāvrajya ca hā kaṣṭaṃ bruvaṃstaṃ naṃdabhadrakam | dadhikarṇa ivāsādya naṃdabhadramuvāca saḥ

Translation

Approaching him as he cried, “Alas, what sorrow!”, that man—like Dadhikarṇa—came up to Nandabhadra and addressed him.

Word by Word

• upāvrajya: having approached
• upāvrajya: Pūrvakāla (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: upa-√vraj (व्रज्)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (Gerund) — उपसर्ग upa-; ‘having approached’

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय)

• hā: alas!
• hā: Bhāva (Exclamation/उद्गार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (शोक-उद्गार)

• kaṣṭam: misfortune/woe
• kaṣṭam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kaṣṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — उद्गार-रूपेण

• bruvan: saying
• bruvan: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √brū (ब्रू)
• Form: वर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ/शानच्), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — ‘saying’

• tam: him
• tam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• naṃdabhadrakam: Nandabhadraka
• naṃdabhadrakam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: naṃdabhadraka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — व्यक्तिनाम

• dadhikarṇaḥ: Dadhikarṇa
• dadhikarṇaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dadhikarṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — व्यक्तिनाम

• iva: like/as
• iva: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Comparative particle/उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उपमा-वाचक)

• āsādya: having met
• āsādya: Pūrvakāla (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√sad (सद्)
• Form: ल्यप्/क्त्वा-समकक्ष अव्यय (Gerund) — ‘having met/approached’

• naṃdabhadram: Nandabhadra
• naṃdabhadram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: naṃdabhadra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — व्यक्तिनाम

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (वच्)
• Form: लिट् (परिपूर्णभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stranger/associate steps close to the grieving Nandabhadra, hand raised as if to speak; the comparison to Dadhikarṇa suggests a recognizable ‘approacher’ archetype—smooth, timely, and persuasive.

Characters & Entities

• Nandabhadra
• Dadhikarṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Moments of grief attract persuasive voices; discernment is needed before accepting counsel.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No holy site is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it sets up a spoken exchange about dharma.