Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

तच्छ्रुत्वा पार्थिवः सोऽपि तस्मिन्स्थाने व्यवस्थितः । तं ब्राह्मणं पुनः प्राह न भेतव्यं त्वया द्विज

Transliteration

tacchrutvā pārthivaḥ so'pi tasminsthāne vyavasthitaḥ | taṃ brāhmaṇaṃ punaḥ prāha na bhetavyaṃ tvayā dvija

Translation

Ayant entendu cela, le roi, demeurant sur place en ce lieu sacré, s’adressa de nouveau au brāhmane : «Ô deux-fois-né, tu ne dois pas craindre».

Word by Word

• tat: that (statement/thing)
• tat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• śrutvā: having heard
• śrutvā: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √śru (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund) = having heard

• pārthivaḥ: the king
• pārthivaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pārthiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

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

• tasmin: in that
• tasmin: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी, एकवचन; विशेषण (in that)

• sthāne: place
• sthāne: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sthāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• vyavasthitaḥ: stood/remained
• vyavasthitaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-ava-√sthā (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; भूतकालिक-विशेषण (having stayed/being stationed)

• tam: him
• tam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• brāhmaṇam: the Brahmin
• brāhmaṇam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• punaḥ: again
• punaḥ: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (again)

• prāha: said/spoke
• prāha: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ah (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect/परोक्षभूत), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation)

• bhetavyam: should be feared
• bhetavyam: Kriya (Injunctive predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhī (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त; gerundive), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधिलिङ्गार्थ (ought to be feared)

• tvayā: by you
• tvayā: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया, एकवचन

• dvija: O twice-born (Brahmin)
• dvija: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

Speaker

Pārthiva (the king), addressing a brāhmaṇa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king stands firm on the sacred ground, turning to the brāhmaṇa with an open palm gesture of reassurance; attendants keep distance; the atmosphere shifts from panic to resolve.

Characters & Entities

• Pārthiva (king)
• Brāhmaṇa
• Dvija

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A ruler’s dharma includes protecting the righteous and upholding confidence in sacred duty even amid danger.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The “tasmin sthāne” indicates the particular tīrtha-kṣetra under praise in Adhyāya 133 of the Nāgarakhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite here; it transitions into the king’s protective vow and subsequent tapas/homa.