Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 56

Devanagari script

कस्यचित्त्वथ कालस्य वाणीवत्सरको नृपः । प्रतोषं नीतवाञ्छक्रं तपसा निर्मलेन च

Transliteration

kasyacittvatha kālasya vāṇīvatsarako nṛpaḥ | pratoṣaṃ nītavāñchakraṃ tapasā nirmalena ca

Translation

Après quelque temps, le roi Vāṇīvatsaraka, par une austérité pure et sans tache, combla Śakra (Indra) de pleine satisfaction.

Word by Word

• कस्यचित्: of some
• कस्यचित्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + चित् (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; अनिश्चितार्थक सर्वनाम (of some)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेषार्थक निपात (but/indeed)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Discourse marker (अनुक्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रमसूचक (then)

• कालस्य: of time
• कालस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• वाणीवत्सरकः: Vāṇīvatsaraka (name)
• वाणीवत्सरकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाणी (प्रातिपदिक) + वत्सरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः—‘वाणीवत्सरकः’ = वाणी-नामकः वत्सरकः (a king named Vāṇīvatsaraka)

• नृपः: king
• नृपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; पूर्वपदस्य विशेषण/अप्पोजिशन

• प्रतोषम्: satisfaction/propitiation
• प्रतोषम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतोष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• नीतवान्: brought/caused
• नीतवान्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नी (धातु) → नीतवत् (कृदन्त, क्तवतुँ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; क्तवतुँ-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकालिक कर्तरि (having led/brought) — परिप्रयोगः: ‘नीतवान्’ = ‘अनीनयत्’ (he caused/led)

• शक्रम्: Śakra (Indra)
• शक्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• तपसा: by austerity
• तपसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• निर्मलेन: pure
• निर्मलेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्मल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; तपसा इत्यस्य विशेषणम् (qualifying the instrument)

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (and)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator within Nāgara Khaṇḍa context; specific speaker not explicit in snippet)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nṛpa / king (addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: King Vāṇīvatsaraka performs spotless austerities; Indra (Śakra) appears, pleased, with celestial retinue.

Characters & Entities

• Vāṇīvatsaraka
• Śakra (Indra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pure tapas performed with sincerity has the power to win divine grace, even from the king of the gods.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha context continues implicitly; the episode illustrates how the region’s sacred narrative is marked by tapas and divine response.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas (austerity) is the practice highlighted; no specific vow-details are enumerated in this verse.