Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 59

Devanagari script

एतस्मिन्नंतरे सोऽथ वधकानां समर्पितः । तं वृक्षं नीयमानस्तु श्लोकानेतांस्तदापठत्

Transliteration

etasminnaṃtare so'tha vadhakānāṃ samarpitaḥ | taṃ vṛkṣaṃ nīyamānastu ślokānetāṃstadāpaṭhat

Translation

Sementara itu ia diserahkan kepada para algojo; dan ketika dibawa menuju pohon itu, saat itulah ia melafalkan bait-bait śloka ini.

Word by Word

• etasmin: in this
• etasmin: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• antare: in the meantime
• antare: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: antara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; ‘अन्तरे’ = in the interval/meanwhile

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

• atha: then
• atha: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle): then/now

• vadhakānām: to the executioners (of)
• vadhakānām: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vadhaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• samarpitaḥ: was handed over
• samarpitaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam-ā-√ṛp/arp (अर्प्)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे ‘handed over’

• tam: that
• tam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• vṛkṣam: tree
• vṛkṣam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛkṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• nīyamānaḥ: being led
• nīyamānaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nīyamāna (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √nī नी)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (present passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘being led’ (he)

• tu: indeed
• tu: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle): but/indeed

• ślokān: verses
• ślokān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śloka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• etān: these
• etān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying ślokān)

• tadā: then
• tadā: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb): at that time

• apaṭhat: recited
• apaṭhat: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √paṭh (पठ्)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदम्; ‘he recited/read’

Speaker

Narrator (speaker not explicit in snippet)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: वधक (executioners) अपराधी को पकड़कर वृक्ष की ओर ले जा रहे हैं; वह चलते-चलते श्लोकों का पाठ करता है—चेहरे पर भय, पर वाणी में तीखापन।

Characters & Entities

• vadhakāḥ (executioners)
• vṛkṣa (tree)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

At the edge of consequence, speech becomes revelation—actions mature into karma, and the mind exposes its tendencies.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not identified in this verse; it is part of a tīrtha-māhātmya chapter’s storyline.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it introduces a set of didactic verses to be spoken.