Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

भगवानुवाच । अत्रानय द्विजश्रेष्ठ तां कन्यां कमलेक्षणाम् । येन दृष्ट्वा स्वयं पश्चात्प्रकरोमि यथोदितम्

Transliteration

bhagavānuvāca | atrānaya dvijaśreṣṭha tāṃ kanyāṃ kamalekṣaṇām | yena dṛṣṭvā svayaṃ paścātprakaromi yathoditam

Translation

The Blessed Lord said: “Bring that lotus-eyed maiden here, O best of the twice-born. After seeing her myself, I shall then do as has been requested.”

Word by Word

• bhagavān: the Blessed Lord
• bhagavān: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhagavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• atra: here
• atra: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण)

• ānaya: bring
• ānaya: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√nī (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• dvija-śreṣṭha: O best of the twice-born
• dvija-śreṣṭha: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक) + śreṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारय-प्राय: 'द्विजेषु श्रेष्ठः'; पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• tām: her
• tām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• kanyām: the maiden
• kanyām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kanyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• kamala-īkṣaṇām: lotus-eyed
• kamala-īkṣaṇām: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kamala (प्रातिपदिक) + īkṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास: 'कमलवत् ईक्षणं यस्याः'; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कन्याम् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• yena: so that, by which
• yena: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; साधन/हेतु-अर्थे 'येन' = by which/so that

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• dṛṣṭvā: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dṛś (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त्वा, absolutive/gerund) = having seen

• svayam: personally
• svayam: Karta (Agent emphasis/कर्ता)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: svayam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (स्वकर्तृवाचक)

• paścāt: afterwards
• paścāt: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: paścāt (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक)

• prakaromi: I will do/perform
• prakaromi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• yathā-uditam: as said, as instructed
• yathā-uditam: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय) + udita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास: 'यथा उदितम्' = as stated; अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः

Speaker

Bhagavān (Viṣṇu)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvija-śreṣṭha (best of brāhmaṇas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The deity speaks calmly to a revered brāhmaṇa: ‘Bring the maiden here.’ The scene emphasizes divine composure, the brāhmaṇa’s reverence, and the anticipation of a forthcoming act.

Characters & Entities

• Bhagavān
• Viṣṇu
• Dvijaśreṣṭha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine action is portrayed as orderly and discerning—undertaken after direct knowledge (darśana) rather than haste.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader passage is within Tīrthamāhātmya, but this verse itself does not specify the tīrtha by name.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No bathing/charity/japa is prescribed; the verse narrates a procedural step before fulfilling a request.