Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

तद्दृष्ट्वा कोपसंपन्नः स राजाऽभ्येत्य वासवम् । प्रोवाच किमिदं शक्र प्रोक्ष्यते यन्ममासनम्

Transliteration

taddṛṣṭvā kopasaṃpannaḥ sa rājā'bhyetya vāsavam | provāca kimidaṃ śakra prokṣyate yanmamāsanam

Translation

Voyant cela, le roi, saisi de colère, s’approcha de Vāsava (Indra) et dit : «Qu’est-ce donc, ô Śakra, que l’on asperge mon siège ?»

Word by Word

• tat: that (thing)
• tat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• dṛṣṭvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• kopa-saṃpannaḥ: filled with anger
• kopa-saṃpannaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kopa (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃpanna (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, √pad/√pād ‘to attain’/सम्+पद्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (राज्ञः)

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

• rājā: the king
• rājā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• abhyetya: having approached
• abhyetya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: i (धातु)
• Form: उपसर्ग: अभि-; क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• vāsavam: Vāsava (Indra)
• vāsavam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāsava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; इन्द्र-नाम

• provāca: said
• provāca: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: उपसर्ग: प्र-; लिट् (परिपूर्णभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• kim: what?
• kim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• idam: this
• idam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• śakra: O Śakra
• śakra: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śakra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; इन्द्र-नाम

• prokṣyate: is being sprinkled
• prokṣyate: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prokṣ (धातु; प्र+उक्ष्/प्रोक्ष् ‘to sprinkle’)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• yat: which
• yat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative)

• mama: my
• mama: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम

• āsanam: seat/throne
• āsanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āsana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

King (Pārthiva/Bhūpa; speaking to Indra)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A wrathful king strides into Indra’s jeweled court, pointing toward his own royal seat being ritually sprinkled, confronting Vāsava with a sharp question; attendants hold golden kalaśas, drops of sanctified water glinting mid-air.

Characters & Entities

• Śakra (Indra)
• Vāsava (Indra)
• King
• Prokṣaṇa (sprinkling)
• Āsana (seat)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Anger and wounded pride can arise when one misunderstands ritual acts; dharma calls for inquiry with humility rather than agitation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it is part of the broader Tīrthamāhātmya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Prokṣaṇa—sprinkling with water (a purification/consecration act)—is referenced as being performed on the king’s seat.