Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

एवं ज्ञात्वा द्विजश्रेष्ठ कुरुष्वाऽस्य हितं च यत् । इह लोके परे चैव बालकस्य ममाऽज्ञया

Transliteration

evaṃ jñātvā dvijaśreṣṭha kuruṣvā'sya hitaṃ ca yat | iha loke pare caiva bālakasya mamā'jñayā

Translation

«Sachant cela, ô le meilleur des deux-fois-nés, accomplis ce qui est vraiment salutaire pour cet enfant—en ce monde et dans l’au-delà—selon mon ordre.»

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार-वाचक (manner adverb)

• ज्ञात्वा: having known
• ज्ञात्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु) + क्त्वा (अव्यय-कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया (prior action)

• द्विजश्रेष्ठ: O best of Brahmins
• द्विजश्रेष्ठ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (among द्विजs, the श्रेष्ठ)

• कुरुष्व: do
• कुरुष्व: Vidhi (Command/विधि)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अस्य: for/of this (boy)
• अस्य: Sambandha (Beneficiary/possessor relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• हितम्: welfare, good
• हितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; धा/हि + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; कर्मपद

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक

• यत्: whatever (is proper)
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-प्रदर्शक (relative pronoun)

• इह: here
• इह: Desha-adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देश/काल-वाचक (locative adverb)

• लोके: in the world (here)
• लोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; पुंलिङ्ग

• परे: in the other (world)
• परे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; पुंलिङ्ग; लोक इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक

• एव: indeed, also
• एव: Avadharana (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphasis/only/indeed)

• बालकस्य: of the boy
• बालकस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बालक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; पुंलिङ्ग

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आज्ञया: by (my) command
• आज्ञया: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आज्ञा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; स्त्रीलिङ्ग

Speaker

Brāhmaṇa (unnamed seer)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mṛkaṇḍu

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A revered brāhmaṇa instructs Mṛkaṇḍu: act for the child’s benefit in this world and the next, under authoritative guidance.

Characters & Entities

• dvijaśreṣṭha (addressed person)
• boy (bālaka)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True welfare is twofold—temporal and spiritual—so dharma must be practiced with both horizons in view.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not named in this verse; the instruction aligns with Māhātmya themes where sacred acts at tīrthas secure welfare here and hereafter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A general prescription to perform ‘hita’ (beneficial dharmic action); no single rite is specified in this line.