Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

ततः प्रोवाच विनयात्कृतांजलिपुटः स्थितः । आदेशो दीयतां देव ब्रूहि कृत्यं करोमि किम्

Transliteration

tataḥ provāca vinayātkṛtāṃjalipuṭaḥ sthitaḥ | ādeśo dīyatāṃ deva brūhi kṛtyaṃ karomi kim

Translation

Lalu ia berdiri dengan rendah hati, kedua tangan menyatu dalam añjali, dan berkata: “Wahai Dewa, anugerahkanlah perintah; katakanlah tugas apa yang harus dilakukan—apa yang harus kulakukan?”

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Temporal/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (sequence)

• प्रोवाच: said
• प्रोवाच: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• विनयात्: out of humility
• विनयात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विनय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; हेतौ (ablative of cause)

• कृताञ्जलिपुटः: with hands folded
• कृताञ्जलिपुटः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (कृदन्त, √कृ) + अञ्जलि (प्रातिपदिक) + पुट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-समासः (‘कृतः अञ्जलि-पुटः’ = hands folded as a hollow)

• स्थितः: standing
• स्थितः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘standing’

• आदेशः: command; instruction
• आदेशः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दीयताम्: let (it) be given
• दीयताम्: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दा (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ/imperative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive): ‘let it be given’

• देव: O lord
• देव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ब्रूहि: tell (me)
• ब्रूहि: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ/imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• कृत्यम्: duty; task
• कृत्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• करोमि: I do; I shall do
• करोमि: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान/Present), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

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

Speaker

Vibhīṣaṇa (addressing Rāma as ‘deva’)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Laṅkā (dāsya-smṛti)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis (frame implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vibhīṣaṇa stands with folded hands, head slightly bowed, asking Rāghava for instructions; Rāma’s posture is calm, authoritative, compassionate.

Characters & Entities

• Vibhīṣaṇa
• Rāma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is fulfilled through obedient service: humility and readiness to act on righteous instruction are marks of a purified mind.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the verse models devotional conduct within the Laṅkā narrative frame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the practice shown is añjali (joined palms) and seeking dharmic instruction.