Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ऋषय ऊचुः । किं कृतं धर्मराजेन तपोध्यानादिकं च यत् । मांडव्यशापनाशाय तदस्माकं प्रकीर्तय

Transliteration

ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | kiṃ kṛtaṃ dharmarājena tapodhyānādikaṃ ca yat | māṃḍavyaśāpanāśāya tadasmākaṃ prakīrtaya

Translation

Les sages dirent : «Quelles austérités, quelles méditations et quelles disciplines connexes Dharmarāja accomplit-il pour dissiper la malédiction de Māṇḍavya ? Raconte-le-nous, nous t’en prions».

Word by Word

• ऋषयः: the sages
• ऋषयः: Karta (Speaker/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; ‘they said’

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; interrogative ‘what?’

• कृतम्: done
• कृतम्: Kriyā (Predicate in question)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कृत (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; here with ‘किम्’ = ‘what was done’

• धर्मराजेन: by Dharmarāja (Yama)
• धर्मराजेन: Karta (Agent, in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्मराज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘धर्मस्य राजा’ = ‘Dharma-rāja (Yama)’

• तपोध्यानादिकम्: austerity, meditation, etc.
• तपोध्यानादिकम्: Karma (Object/apposition to ‘किम्’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् + ध्यान + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; समाहार-द्वन्द्वः ‘तपश्च ध्यानं च आदयश्च’ = ‘a set beginning with austerity and meditation’

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordinator)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunction)

• यत्: which/that
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative link)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; relative pronoun ‘which/that’ (referring to ‘तपोध्यानादिकम्’)

• माण्डव्यशापनाशाय: for destroying Māṇḍavya’s curse
• माण्डव्यशापनाशाय: Sampradāna (Purpose/beneficiary)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माण्डव्य + शाप + नाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे चतुर्थी (4th/सम्प्रदान), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः ‘माण्डव्यस्य शापस्य नाशः’ ; चतुर्थी-प्रयोजन ‘for the destruction’

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; ‘that’ (i.e., that act)

• अस्माकम्: to us/of us
• अस्माकम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; ‘of us/for us’

• प्रकीर्तय: tell/proclaim
• प्रकीर्तय: Kriyā (Command)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-कीर्त् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘tell/proclaim’

Speaker

Ṛṣis (Sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sūta

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An āśrama assembly: seated sages with matted hair and deer-skins, one spokesman raising a hand in respectful inquiry; in the background, a hint of the sacred field—riverbank or grove—suggesting the tīrtha setting.

Characters & Entities

• Dharmarāja (Yama)
• Māṇḍavya (sage)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even divine authorities submit to dharma; austerity and meditation are portrayed as purifying means to resolve karmic consequences.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The question occurs within Tīrthamāhātmya, implying a sacred-field setting, but this verse does not name the tīrtha explicitly.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas (austerity) and dhyāna (meditation) are referenced generally, without a specific vow, bath, or donation described.