Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

गच्छध्वं मम वाक्येन सर्वा न्भूमितले नृपान् । लिखित्वा पट्टमध्ये तु दर्शयध्वं ततः परम्

Transliteration

gacchadhvaṃ mama vākyena sarvā nbhūmitale nṛpān | likhitvā paṭṭamadhye tu darśayadhvaṃ tataḥ param

Translation

«Allez, selon ma parole, vers tous les rois de la terre. Après les avoir peints au milieu d’une toile, montrez-les ensuite.»

Word by Word

• गच्छध्वम्: go (you all)
• गच्छध्वम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ/imperative); मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person); बहुवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• मम: of me, my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/genitive); एकवचन

• वाक्येन: by (my) command/word
• वाक्येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/करण); एकवचन

• सर्वान्: all
• सर्वान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म); बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying ‘नृपान्’)

• भूमितले: on the earth’s surface
• भूमितले: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि-तल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण); एकवचन; समासः—भूमेः तलम् (surface of the earth)

• नृपान्: kings
• नृपान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म); बहुवचन

• लिखित्वा: having drawn/written
• लिखित्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Gerundial prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लिख् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वक्रिया (prior action)

• पट्टमध्ये: in the middle of the canvas/cloth
• पट्टमध्ये: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पट्ट-मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण); एकवचन; समासः—पट्टस्य मध्यः (in the middle of a cloth/canvas)

• तु: indeed, but
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/विरोधार्थक (but/indeed)

• दर्शयध्वम्: show (you all)
• दर्शयध्वम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative); मध्यमपुरुष; बहुवचन; आत्मनेपदम्; णिच् (causative) ‘cause to see/show’

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: Kala-adhikarana (Sequence adjunct/क्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रम/अपादानार्थक (thereafter/from that)

• परम्: next, further
• परम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः; क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial ‘further/next’)

Speaker

Ānarta king (implied, within Sūta’s narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Painters receive explicit instructions: travel to every king, paint each on a central cloth panel, then return to present the portraits for viewing.

Characters & Entities

• Ānarta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma-oriented decision-making uses proper means and broad evaluation rather than favoritism or haste.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No holy site is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual prescription is given.