Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 58

Devanagari script

किंनरा गुह्का यक्षाः किं पुनर्मर्त्यधर्मिणः । तस्मात्त्वं किं न गृह्णासि वरं मत्तः कुतापसि

Transliteration

kiṃnarā guhkā yakṣāḥ kiṃ punarmartyadharmiṇaḥ | tasmāttvaṃ kiṃ na gṛhṇāsi varaṃ mattaḥ kutāpasi

Translation

Les Kinnaras, les Guhyakas et les Yakṣas obéissent; à plus forte raison ceux qui suivent la voie des mortels. Ainsi, ô ascète misérable, pourquoi ne reçois-tu pas une grâce de moi ?

Word by Word

• kiṃnarāḥ: Kiṃnaras
• kiṃnarāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kiṃnara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• guhyakāḥ: Guhyakas
• guhyakāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guhyaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• yakṣāḥ: Yakṣas
• yakṣāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yakṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• kim: what (then)
• kim: Sambandha (Interrogative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रश्नवाचक अव्यय-प्रयोग (interrogative particle)

• punar: then/again
• punar: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punar (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरर्थक अव्यय (adverb: again/then/moreover)

• martya-dharmiṇaḥ: those of mortal nature
• martya-dharmiṇaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: martya (प्रातिपदिक) + dharmin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (मर्त्यस्य धर्मः यस्य)

• tasmāt: therefore
• tasmāt: Hetu (Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात्-इति हेत्वर्थे अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोग (indeclinable: therefore/from that)

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• kim: why
• kim: Sambandha (Interrogative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रश्नवाचक अव्यय (interrogative particle)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation)

• gṛhṇāsi: do you accept/take
• gṛhṇāsi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √grah (ग्रह् ग्रहणे) (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• varam: a boon
• varam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• mattaḥ: from me
• mattaḥ: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• kutaḥ: why/whence
• kutaḥ: Sambandha (Interrogative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kutaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नवाचक अव्यय (interrogative adverb: whence/why)

• tapasi: O ascetic
• tapasi: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapasvin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Śrīdevī/Śacī (continuing speech)

Characters & Entities

• Kinnara
• Guhyaka
• Yakṣa
• Martyas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly power can entice or intimidate, but spiritual discernment is tested when boons and threats are offered.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse itself does not specify a site; it is embedded in the Nāgarakhaṇḍa tīrtha-glorification context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a narrative challenge about accepting a boon.