Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

स दृष्ट्वा कुरुवृद्धस्य कीर्तनानि महात्मनः । ततश्चक्रे मतिं तत्र दिव्यप्रासादकर्मणि

Transliteration

sa dṛṣṭvā kuruvṛddhasya kīrtanāni mahātmanaḥ | tataścakre matiṃ tatra divyaprāsādakarmaṇi

Translation

Voyant les commémorations et les hauts faits renommés de ce grand‑âme, l’aîné des Kurus, il prit alors la résolution, en ce lieu, d’entreprendre l’ouvrage d’un temple divin.

Word by Word

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• dṛṣṭvā: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: dṛś (दृश्-धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययीभाव (gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• kuru-vṛddhasya: of the elder among the Kurus
• kuru-vṛddhasya: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kuru (प्रातिपदिक) + vṛddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (कुरूणां वृद्धः)

• kīrtanāni: praises/recitations
• kīrtanāni: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kīrtana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• mahātmanaḥ: of the great-souled one
• mahātmanaḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Adhikarana (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—क्रमवाचक (thereafter)

• cakre: made/formed
• cakre: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (कृ-धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• matim: an intention/resolve
• matim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—देशवाचक (locative adverb)

• divya-prāsāda-karmaṇi: in the work of a divine temple/palace
• divya-prāsāda-karmaṇi: Adhikarana (Location/Topic/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: divya (प्रातिपदिक) + prāsāda (प्रातिपदिक) + karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (दिव्यः प्रासादः यस्य तत् कर्म)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration within Tīrthamāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim stands before stone inscriptions, steles, or commemorative markers praising a venerable Kuru elder; moved, he gestures in resolve toward a planned temple site.

Characters & Entities

• Vidura
• Kuru elder (Kuru-vṛddha)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Remembrance of saintly exemplars inspires constructive dharma—building and supporting sacred spaces is a high form of merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The same kṣetra setting of Adhyāya 59 (Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra context), where divine temple-work is undertaken.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Prāsāda-karman—initiating the construction/establishment of a divine temple as a meritorious act.