Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

आजगाम स्वयं ब्रह्मा पुण्यैर्देवर्षिभिः सह । अब्रवीत्तं महीपालं तपसा दग्धकिल्बिषम्

Transliteration

ājagāma svayaṃ brahmā puṇyairdevarṣibhiḥ saha | abravīttaṃ mahīpālaṃ tapasā dagdhakilbiṣam

Translation

Brahmā lui-même arriva, accompagné de saints rishis divins, et s’adressa à ce roi dont les fautes avaient été consumées par l’austérité.

Word by Word

• आजगाम: came
• आजगाम: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + गम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (perfect); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; उपसर्गः आ

• स्वयम्: himself
• स्वयम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन

• पुण्यैः: holy; virtuous
• पुण्यैः: Karana (Means/association/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण/सह), बहुवचन; विशेषण (देवर্ষिभिः)

• देवर्षिभिः: with divine sages
• देवर्षिभिः: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति (सह/करण), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (देवानां ऋषयः)

• सह: with
• सह: Sahakari (Accompaniment marker/सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सहार्थक-उपपद (with)

• अब्रवीत्: said
• अब्रवीत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (imperfect/past); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तम्: to him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• महीपालम्: the king; protector of the earth
• महीपालम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही (प्रातिपदिक) + पाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (महीम् पालयति)

• तपसा: by austerity
• तपसा: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

• दग्धकिल्बिषम्: whose sins were burnt away
• दग्धकिल्बिषम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दग्ध (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; दह् धातु) + किल्बिष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (दग्धं किल्बिषं यस्य/दग्धकिल्बिषः) — here accusative qualifying mahīpālam

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator; contextually Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa tradition)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijottamāḥ (addressed audience within narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā descends with a retinue of radiant devarṣis to the forest hermitage; Viśvāmitra, lean from austerity, glows with inner fire; Brahmā addresses him with solemn approval.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Devarṣis
• Viśvāmitra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tapas is depicted as a purifier that burns karmic impurity, drawing divine recognition and grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse itself does not specify a named site; it supports the tīrtha-māhātmya atmosphere by showing the sanctifying power associated with such sacred contexts.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No prescribed rite is stated; the focus is on tapas as a means of purification (karmic cleansing).