Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 70

Devanagari script

वेदना कायसंस्था मे वर्तते द्विजसत्तम । शांत्यर्थं प्रेषया क्षिप्रं तं शिष्यं पूर्वसंचितम्

Transliteration

vedanā kāyasaṃsthā me vartate dvijasattama | śāṃtyarthaṃ preṣayā kṣipraṃ taṃ śiṣyaṃ pūrvasaṃcitam

Translation

« Ô le meilleur des brāhmaṇas, une douleur du corps m’accable. Pour l’apaiser, envoie vite ce disciple préparé d’avance. »

Word by Word

• vedanā: pain
• vedanā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vedanā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; कर्तृपदम्

• kāya-saṃsthā: located in the body
• kāya-saṃsthā: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kāya (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃsthā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषण—‘वेदना’ (body-situated)

• me: my
• me: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive)

• vartate: exists, continues
• vartate: Kriyā (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vṛt (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• dvija-sattama: O best of Brahmins
• dvija-sattama: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक) + sattama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन; संबोधनपदम्

• śānti-artham: for pacification
• śānti-artham: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śānti (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थे (for the purpose of)

• preṣayā: send
• preṣayā: Kriyā (Imperative action/आज्ञा)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√iṣ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘प्रेषय’ (send!)

• kṣipram: quickly
• kṣipram: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kṣipram (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: शीघ्रार्थक अव्यय (adverb)

• tam: him
• tam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; कर्मपदम्

• śiṣyam: disciple
• śiṣyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiṣya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; ‘तम्’ इत्यस्य समानाधिकरण (apposition)

• pūrva-saṃcitam: previously gathered/accumulated (i.e., earlier appointed/kept ready)
• pūrva-saṃcitam: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pūrva (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃcita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; विशेषण—‘शिष्यं/तम्’

Speaker

Rājā (the King) (inferred from continuity of royal plea)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijasattama (addressed brāhmaṇa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A distressed patron/king-like figure speaks to a venerable brāhmaṇa, holding his side in pain, urgently requesting that a previously prepared disciple be sent for pacification.

Characters & Entities

• Dvijasattama (Brāhmaṇa)
• Śiṣya (Disciple)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Suffering is treated as a call to restore harmony (śānti) through dharmic means and humble recourse to spiritual counsel.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not named in this verse; the setting remains within the chapter’s tīrtha-māhātmya framework.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A śānti-oriented intervention is implied (pacificatory rite/service), facilitated by a prepared disciple.