Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

किं त्वां कल्याणि वक्ष्यामः स्वयं धर्मार्थवादिनीम् । सवरेंपि गुणैर्युक्ता नित्यं सत्ये प्रतिष्ठिताम्

Transliteration

kiṃ tvāṃ kalyāṇi vakṣyāmaḥ svayaṃ dharmārthavādinīm | savareṃpi guṇairyuktā nityaṃ satye pratiṣṭhitām

Translation

Wahai yang mulia dan membawa berkah, apa lagi yang dapat kami ucapkan kepadamu—engkau sendiri penutur sabda dharma yang bermakna, berhias segala kebajikan, dan senantiasa teguh dalam kebenaran.

Word by Word

• किम्: why?/what (indeed)
• किम्: Sambandha (Discourse/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative particle)

• त्वाम्: you
• त्वाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, स्त्री/पुं (common), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• कल्याणि: O auspicious lady
• कल्याणि: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कल्याणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, संबोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), एकवचन

• वक्ष्यामः: we shall speak/say
• वक्ष्यामः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person), बहुवचन (Plural), परस्मैपद

• स्वयम्: by oneself; oneself
• स्वयम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• धर्मार्थवादिनीम्: one who speaks of dharma and artha
• धर्मार्थवादिनीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म + अर्थ + वादिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (धर्मार्थौ वदतीति)

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निपात (particle: also/even)

• गुणैः: with virtues/qualities
• गुणैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन

• युक्ता: endowed/connected
• युक्ता: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युज् (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावेन प्रयुक्तम्, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: always)

• सत्ये: in truth
• सत्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• प्रतिष्ठिताम्: established/firmly set
• प्रतिष्ठिताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + स्था (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Sakhyaḥ (continuing praise)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and other ṛṣis at Naimiṣāraṇya (standard Sūta frame; not explicit in this verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A respectful exchange where companions praise an auspicious woman for her truthfulness and dharmic counsel; intimate, human-scale moment within a pilgrimage tale.

Characters & Entities

• Nandinī
• Dharma
• Artha
• Satya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True virtue culminates in satya-niṣṭhā—being unwaveringly grounded in truth.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in the verse; it supports the chapter’s dharmic tenor within the pilgrimage framework.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is laudatory speech highlighting virtues.