Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 61

Devanagari script

तस्मात्त्वं मे महाभागे पापास्यातिदुरात्मनः । उपदेशप्रदानेन प्रसादं कर्तुमर्हसि

Transliteration

tasmāttvaṃ me mahābhāge pāpāsyātidurātmanaḥ | upadeśapradānena prasādaṃ kartumarhasi

Translation

Ainsi donc, ô dame très fortunée, daigne m’accorder ta grâce—moi, pécheur et fort mauvais—en me dispensant l’enseignement.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात्-इति अव्ययीभाव-प्राय/निपातवत्; अपादानार्थे ‘therefore/from that reason’ (ablative-form used adverbially)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (nom. sg.)

• मे: for me / my
• मे: Sampradāna (Beneficiary/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-एकवचन (gen./dat. sg. enclitic)

• महाभागे: O greatly fortunate lady
• महाभागे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाभाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, संबोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय ‘महान् भागः यस्याः’ (voc. sg.)

• पापास्य: of (me) the sinful-mouthed
• पापास्य: Sambandha (Genitive qualifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + आस्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि ‘पापम् आस्यम् यस्य’ = ‘one whose mouth is sinful’ (gen. sg.), विशेषणं ‘अतिदुरात्मनः’/‘(मम)’ प्रति

• अतिदुरात्मनः: of (me) the very wicked-souled
• अतिदुरात्मनः: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अति (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + दुरात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘दुरात्मन्’ (gen. sg.) with intensifier ‘अति’

• उपदेशप्रदानेन: by giving instruction
• उपदेशप्रदानेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपदेश (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रदान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष ‘उपदेशस्य प्रदानम्’ (instr. sg.)

• प्रसादम्: grace, favor
• प्रसादम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रसाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कर्तुम्: to do, to grant
• कर्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (infinitive), ‘to do/make’

• अर्हसि: you ought, you are worthy
• अर्हसि: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्ह् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

Speaker

Vyāghra (the tiger)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The tiger, now supplicant, requests instruction from Sudhenū; the power dynamic reverses fully—predator bows to virtue, seeking prasāda through teaching.

Characters & Entities

• vyāghra (tiger)
• upadeśa (instruction)
• prasāda (grace)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Seeking guidance from the righteous is itself dharma; instruction (upadeśa) is portrayed as a vehicle of divine grace and reform.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse contributes to the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya’s sanctifying narrative; the tīrtha is glorified through the dharmic conversion it enables.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Not a ritual, but a prescription of conduct: receive upadeśa and live by dharma as the path to purification.