Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

ततः कालेन महता प्राप्य विप्रसमुद्भवम् । उपदेशं नृपः प्राप्तः शंखतीर्थं महोदयम्

Transliteration

tataḥ kālena mahatā prāpya viprasamudbhavam | upadeśaṃ nṛpaḥ prāptaḥ śaṃkhatīrthaṃ mahodayam

Translation

Puis, au bout d’un long temps, le roi rencontra un brahmane et reçut l’enseignement concernant le très auspiceux Śaṅkhatīrtha.

Word by Word

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Temporal adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपादान/क्रमवाचक (then/thereafter)

• कालेन: with time
• कालेन: Karaṇa (Means/with time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Instrumental singular, masc.)

• महता: great/long
• महता: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Instrumental singular, masc.); विशेषणम् कालेन

• प्राप्य: having obtained
• प्राप्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√आप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive); “having obtained/reached”

• विप्रसमुद्भवम्: originating from a brāhmaṇa
• विप्रसमुद्भवम्: Karma (Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक) + समुद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (विप्रात् समुद्भवः = arising from a brāhmaṇa) (Acc. sg. masc.); विशेषणम् उपदेशम्

• उपदेशम्: instruction
• उपदेशम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपदेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Accusative singular, masc.)

• नृपः: the king
• नृपः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Nominative singular, masc.)

• प्राप्तः: received/obtained
• प्राप्तः: Kriyā (Predicate; with implied ‘अभवत्’)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√आप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; कर्तरि प्रयोगे “obtained/received”

• शंखतीर्थम्: Śaṅkha-tīrtha
• शंखतीर्थम्: Karma (Object; apposition/goal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंख (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (शंखस्य तीर्थम्) (Acc. sg. neut.)

• महोदयम्: of great glory/benefit
• महोदयम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक) + उदय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; कर्मधारयः (महान् उदयः यस्य) (Acc. sg. neut.); विशेषणम् शंखतीर्थम्

Speaker

Sūta (narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śaṅkhatīrtha

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A travel-worn king meets a serene Brahmin on a path near a waterbody; the Brahmin gestures toward the tīrtha while explaining its greatness; the king listens with folded hands.

Characters & Entities

• vipra (Brahmin)
• Śaṅkhatīrtha
• nṛpa (king)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Right guidance (upadeśa) from the learned leads the seeker to the correct sacred practice and place.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śaṅkhatīrtha, praised as “mahōdaya” (greatly auspicious).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Seek and follow Brahminical instruction regarding the appropriate tīrtha and its practice.