Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

तेऽपि दृष्ट्वा सहस्राक्षं वेपमानं कृतांजलिम् । प्रोचुर्माऽतिक्रमं शक्र ब्राह्मणानां करिष्यसि

Transliteration

te'pi dṛṣṭvā sahasrākṣaṃ vepamānaṃ kṛtāṃjalim | procurmā'tikramaṃ śakra brāhmaṇānāṃ kariṣyasi

Translation

Seeing Sahasrākṣa (Indra) trembling with folded hands, they said: “O Śakra, do not commit any transgression against the brāhmaṇas.”

Word by Word

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, बहुवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग; सर्वनाम (they)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha-bodhaka (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अपि-भाव (particle: also/even)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + क्त्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having seen)

• सहस्राक्षम्: the thousand-eyed (Indra)
• सहस्राक्षम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र + अक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (उपाधि); द्वितीया, एकवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग

• वेपमानम्: trembling
• वेपमानम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वेप् (धातु) + शानच् (शतृ/वर्तमान कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमान कृदन्त (शानच्/आत्मनेपदी); द्वितीया, एकवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग; विशेषणम्

• कृताञ्जलिम्: with hands folded
• कृताञ्जलिम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत + अञ्जलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कृतः अञ्जलिः यस्य/कृताञ्जलिः ‘with folded hands’); द्वितीया, एकवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग; विशेषणम्

• प्रोचुः: said
• प्रोचुः: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• मा: do not
• मा: Pratiṣedha (Prohibition/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक निपात; लोट्/विधिलिङ्/लृट्-आदेशे निषेध (prohibitive particle: do not)

• अतिक्रमम्: transgression/overstepping
• अतिक्रमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अति + क्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया, एकवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग; कर्मपद (transgression)

• शक्र: O Śakra (Indra)
• शक्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग

• ब्राह्मणानाम्: of Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, बहुवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग (of the Brahmins)

• करिष्यसि: you will do
• करिष्यसि: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

Speaker

Vālakhilya sages (munis)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A circle of brāhmaṇas, calm yet authoritative, address Indra who trembles with folded hands; their gesture is admonitory but compassionate: ‘Do not transgress against brāhmaṇas.’

Characters & Entities

• Indra (Śakra, Sahasrākṣa)
• Brāhmaṇas
• Vālakhilyas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the king of gods must uphold dharma by never slighting brāhmaṇas and the sanctity of spiritual authority.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse occurs within a Tīrthamāhātmya sequence leading to a kuṇḍa and liṅga worship context in Adhyāya 79, though the site name is not stated in this single shloka.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed here; it is an ethical injunction against committing offense (atikrama) toward brāhmaṇas.