Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

सख्युवाच । मम तातेन नीलायां प्रक्षिप्तान्यंबराणि च । ब्राह्मणानां महार्हाणि विभ्रमेण सुलोचने

Transliteration

sakhyuvāca | mama tātena nīlāyāṃ prakṣiptānyaṃbarāṇi ca | brāhmaṇānāṃ mahārhāṇi vibhrameṇa sulocane

Translation

L’amie dit : «Ô toi aux beaux yeux, mon père, dans un moment de trouble, a jeté dans la Nīlā des vêtements—des vêtements précieux appartenant aux brāhmaṇas».

Word by Word

• सखी: the friend (female)
• सखी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सखी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; 3rd sg perfect

• मम: my
• मम: Shashthi-sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Genitive singular

• तातेन: by (my) father
• तातेन: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Instrumental singular (by father)

• नीलायाम्: in (the river) Nīlā
• नीलायाम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नीला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Locative singular (in Nīlā)

• प्रक्षिप्तानि: thrown/cast
• प्रक्षिप्तानि: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + क्षिप् (धातु) → प्रक्षिप्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; past passive participle agreeing with अंबराणि

• अंबराणि: garments
• अंबराणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अंबर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Accusative plural (objects)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (and)

• ब्राह्मणानाम्: of Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणानाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Genitive plural (of Brahmins)

• महार्हाणि: very valuable
• महार्हाणि: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + अर्ह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय (महान् अर्हः); agreeing with अंबराणि

• विभ्रमेण: by mistake
• विभ्रमेण: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभ्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Instrumental singular (through mistake/confusion)

• सुलोचने: O fair-eyed one
• सुलोचने: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु + लोचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि (सुन्दराणि लोचनानि यस्याः); Vocative singular

Speaker

Sakhī (the friend)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nīlā

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The friend reveals the cause: her father, confused, threw valuable brāhmaṇa garments into the river Nīlā; the river glints nearby, symbolizing both concealment and impending revelation.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇas
• Nīlā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Carelessness that harms or dishonors Brāhmaṇas is treated as a serious lapse in dharma, requiring swift correction.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Nīlā is named as the water-body involved; the glorified purifying jalāśaya appears shortly after within the same adhyāya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An implied need for purification and restitution for the offense; explicit rites (snāna/cleansing) are described later in the passage.