Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 56

Devanagari script

पितामहवचः श्रुत्वा तदर्थं कन्यका द्विजाः । शक्रेणासादिता शीघ्रं भ्रममाणा समीपतः

Transliteration

pitāmahavacaḥ śrutvā tadarthaṃ kanyakā dvijāḥ | śakreṇāsāditā śīghraṃ bhramamāṇā samīpataḥ

Translation

Ô meilleurs des deux-fois-nés, ayant entendu la parole de Pitāmaha (Brahmā), Śakra s’approcha promptement d’une jeune fille à cette fin même, tandis qu’elle errait tout près.

Word by Word

• पितामहवचः: the words of the Grandfather (Brahmā)
• पितामहवचः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह + वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समास: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (पितामहस्य वचः)

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: श्रु (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Modifier (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (of अर्थम्)

• अर्थम्: purpose, matter
• अर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• कन्यका: the girl
• कन्यका: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्यका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• द्विजाः: twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विजाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• शक्रेण: by Śakra
• शक्रेण: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• आसादिता: approached, reached
• आसादिता: Kriya (Passive predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + सद् (धातु) + क्त (कृत्प्रत्यय) → आसादित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे कर्तृ-करण-निर्देशः (शक्रेण)

• शीघ्रम्: quickly
• शीघ्रम्: Adverbial
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शीघ्र (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण अव्यय (adverb)

• भ्रममाणा: wandering about
• भ्रममाणा: Modifier (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भ्रम् (धातु) + शानच् (वर्तमानकाले) → भ्रममाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present participle, Ātmanepada sense), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (of कन्यका)

• समीपतः: nearby, in the vicinity
• समीपतः: Adverbial
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: समीप (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तसिल्)
• Form: तसिलान्त अव्यय (adverb: from/near)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator), within Brahmā–Indra episode

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra, having heard Brahmā, moves swiftly and spots a maiden wandering close to the sacrificial area; the scene bridges the ritual enclosure and the everyday village path.

Characters & Entities

• Pitāmaha (Brahmā)
• Śakra (Indra)
• Dvija (brāhmaṇas)
• Kanyakā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine commands in dharma-kathā are carried out without delay, showing reverence to sacred authority and ritual order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse belongs to a tīrthamāhātmya setting; the exact tīrtha is clarified in the adjoining verses of the chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite is described here; it narrates Indra’s swift action in fulfilling a yajña-related requirement.