Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

तस्य तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा विकृतं चापि राघवः । तूष्णीं बभूव मेधावी हास्यं कृत्वा मनाक्ततः

Transliteration

tasya tadvacanaṃ śrutvā vikṛtaṃ cāpi rāghavaḥ | tūṣṇīṃ babhūva medhāvī hāsyaṃ kṛtvā manāktataḥ

Translation

Hearing his somewhat improper words, the wise Rāghava merely smiled a little and then remained silent.

Word by Word

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/genitive); एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Determiner/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/accusative); एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘वचनम्’)

• वचनम्: speech, words
• वचनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/accusative); एकवचन

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive); ‘having heard’

• विकृतम्: distorted, improper
• विकृतम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विकृत (कृ धातोः क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/accusative); एकवचन; क्त (PPP); (as predicate to ‘वचनम्’)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction: ‘and’)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle: ‘also’)

• राघवः: Rāghava (Rāma)
• राघवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राघव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/nominative); एकवचन

• तूष्णीम्: silently
• तूष्णीम्: Sambandha (Adverbial modifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तूष्णीम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: ‘silently’)

• बभूव: became, remained
• बभूव: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person); एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मेधावी: intelligent
• मेधावी: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मेधाविन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/nominative); एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘राघवः’)

• हास्यम्: laughter, a smile
• हास्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हास्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/accusative); एकवचन

• कृत्वा: having made
• कृत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive); ‘having done/made’

• मनाक्: a little
• मनाक्: Sambandha (Adverbial modifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मनाक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अल्पार्थक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: ‘a little’)

• ततः: then, thereupon
• ततः: Sambandha (Adverbial modifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तस्मात्-प्रभव (ablatival adverb: ‘then/thereupon’)

Speaker

Narrator (puranic narrator within the Tīrthamāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rāma hears the improper words, offers a slight smile—half-compassion, half-gentle correction—and remains silent; the other figure is tense, awaiting response.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma (Rāghava)
• Lakṣmaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A dhārmic leader responds to agitation with restraint—measured speech, patience, and inner steadiness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The chapter context proceeds toward Gokarṇa tīrtha; this verse functions as narrative connective tissue.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it emphasizes conduct (ācāra) rather than rite.