Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

तेषां तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा कृपाविष्टः शतक्रतुः । प्रोवाच ब्राह्मणश्रेष्ठं भूय एव बृहस्पतिम्

Transliteration

teṣāṃ tadvacanaṃ śrutvā kṛpāviṣṭaḥ śatakratuḥ | provāca brāhmaṇaśreṣṭhaṃ bhūya eva bṛhaspatim

Translation

Ayant entendu leurs paroles, Śatakratu (Indra), saisi de compassion, s’adressa de nouveau à Bṛhaspati, le meilleur des brāhmaṇas.

Word by Word

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Possessive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6/Genitive), बहुवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; विशेषण (वचनम्)

• वचनम्: speech/words
• वचनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund)

• कृपा: compassion
• कृपा: Sambandha (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृपा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; समासे पूर्वपद

• आविष्टः: entered/possessed (by)
• आविष्टः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ+विश् (धातु) क्त-प्रत्ययान्त
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; क्त (past passive participle)

• शतक्रतुः: Śatakratu (Indra)
• शतक्रतुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शतक्रतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (शतं क्रतवो यस्य)

• प्रोवाच: said/spoke
• प्रोवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ब्राह्मणश्रेष्ठम्: the best of Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणश्रेष्ठम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (श्रेष्ठः ब्राह्मणः)

• भूयः: again/further
• भूयः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भूयस् (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरर्थक-अव्यय (adverb: again/further)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपात (emphatic particle)

• बृहस्पतिम्: Bṛhaspati
• बृहस्पतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बृहस्पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra, softened by compassion, turns from the petitioners toward Bṛhaspati seated nearby, signaling a shift from plea to counsel.

Characters & Entities

• Indra (Śatakratu)
• Bṛhaspati

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Compassionate leadership seeks wise counsel; dharma is preserved through guidance from the learned.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None in this verse; it transitions to Bṛhaspati’s identification of a protected kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the focus is on consultation and decision-making for safeguarding sanctity.