Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 73

Devanagari script

ततो मया विधिः प्रोक्तः पुनरेव द्विजोत्तम । एषोऽपि ब्रह्मलोकस्ते नरकादतिरिच्यते । तस्मात्तत्रैव मां देव प्रेषयस्व किमत्र वै

Transliteration

tato mayā vidhiḥ proktaḥ punareva dvijottama | eṣo'pi brahmalokaste narakādatiricyate | tasmāttatraiva māṃ deva preṣayasva kimatra vai

Translation

Entonces, oh el mejor de los nacidos dos veces, declaré nuevamente el procedimiento prescrito. Incluso este mundo de Brahma tuyo supera al infierno. Por lo tanto, oh Señor, envíame allí solo; ¿qué sentido tiene quedarme aquí?

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then, thereafter
• tataḥ: Adhikarana (Context/देश-काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable); उपपद/क्रियाविशेषण (adverb): 'thereupon/then'

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Karana (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; एकवचन; तृतीया विभक्ति (Instrumental)

• vidhiḥ: rule, injunction, procedure
• vidhiḥ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vidhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचन; प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative)

• proktaḥ: was spoken/declared
• proktaḥ: Karma (Predicate/कर्मणि-भाव)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra+vac (धातु) → prokta (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचन; प्रथमा विभक्ति; 'said/declared'

• punar: again
• punar: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punar (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb): 'again'

• eva: indeed, just
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle) अवधारणार्थ (emphasis)

• dvijottama: O best of the twice-born
• dvijottama: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija + uttama (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: सम्बोधन; पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचन; सम्बोधन विभक्ति (Vocative); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारयार्थ: 'श्रेष्ठः द्विजः'

• eṣaḥ: this
• eṣaḥ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचन; प्रथमा विभक्ति

• api: also, even
• api: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle) 'also/even'

• brahmalokaḥ: Brahma-world
• brahmalokaḥ: Karta (Subject/Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman + loka (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचन; प्रथमा विभक्ति; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'ब्रह्मणः लोकः'

• te: your
• te: Sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; एकवचन; षष्ठी विभक्ति (Genitive)

• narakāt: from hell
• narakāt: Apadana (Source/Comparison)
• Type: Noun
• Root: naraka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचन; पञ्चमी विभक्ति (Ablative)

• atiricyate: surpasses
• atiricyate: Kriya (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ati+ric (धातु)
• Form: लट् लकार (Present); आत्मनेपद; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; 'exceeds/is superior'

• tasmāt: therefore
• tasmāt: Hetu (Reason/therefore)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः; पञ्चमी-एकवचन-रूपेण निपातवत् 'therefore/from that'

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (locative adverb)

• eva: indeed, just
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphasis)

• mām: me
• mām: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; एकवचन; द्वितीया विभक्ति (Accusative)

• deva: O god, O lord
• deva: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बोधन; पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचन; सम्बोधन विभक्ति

• preṣayasva: send (me)
• preṣayasva: Kriya (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra+iṣ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् लकार (Imperative); परस्मैपद; मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचन; causative sense in usage 'send'

• kim: what?
• kim: Prashna (Interrogative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; एकवचन; प्रथमा/द्वितीया (interrogative)

• atra: here, in this matter
• atra: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (here)

• vai: indeed, surely
• vai: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic particle)

Speaker

Petitioner/character addressing Brahmā (speaker within the narrative)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijottama (best of twice-born)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A supplicant being (messenger/attendant figure) addresses a revered brāhmaṇa or deity, pleading to be sent to Brahmaloka, with hell depicted as a distant, shadowy contrast; the atmosphere is judicial and cosmic.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmaloka
• naraka
• dvijottama
• Deva (addressed)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Puranic dharma frames afterlife states as moral outcomes, and proper vidhi (right procedure) is emphasized for upliftment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The immediate verse focuses on destination (Brahmaloka) rather than naming the site; it remains embedded in the Nāgarakhaṇḍa tīrtha narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Vidhi is referenced explicitly (a prescribed procedure), though its details are not contained in this single verse.