Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

यद्यस्य रोचते यावन्मात्रमन्यदपि द्विजाः । प्रसादः क्रियतां मह्यं दीनस्य प्रणतस्य च

Transliteration

yadyasya rocate yāvanmātramanyadapi dvijāḥ | prasādaḥ kriyatāṃ mahyaṃ dīnasya praṇatasya ca

Translation

「汝ら婆羅門よ、各々が望むものは何であれ—どれほどであろうと、さらに別のものまでも—どうか我に御慈悲の御加護を賜れ。われは貧しく、汝らの前に伏して礼拝する者なり。」

Word by Word

• yadi: if
• yadi: Sambandha (Condition)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक-अव्यय (conditional particle: if)

• asya: of this/for this (person)
• asya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• rocate: is pleasing, seems good
• rocate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ruc (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• yāvat-mātram: to whatever extent, as much as
• yāvat-mātram: Pramāṇa (Measure)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yāvat (प्रातिपदिक) + mātra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; परिमाणवाचक-अव्यय (to whatever extent)

• anyat: something else
• anyat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अत्र कर्मरूपेण (object of implied ‘choose/ask’)

• api: also, even
• api: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-कारार्थक-अव्यय (also/even)

• dvijāḥ: O twice-born (brahmins)
• dvijāḥ: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; संबोधनार्थे प्रथमा-प्रयोगः (vocative sense)

• prasādaḥ: favor, grace
• prasādaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prasāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• kriyatām: let (it) be done
• kriyatām: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive): ‘let it be done’

• mahyam: for me, to me
• mahyam: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; अस्मद्-शब्द

• dīnasya: of the poor/distressed (me)
• dīnasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dīna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (mama/aham implied)

• praṇatasya: of the bowed/surrendered (me)
• praṇatasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pra + nam (धातु) + ta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (mama/aham implied)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction: and)

Speaker

Ānartādhipati (king) (reported by Sūta)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śaṃkha-tīrtha

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and Naimiṣāraṇya sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king, calling himself dīna and bowed, asks each sage to state what they desire and begs for their favor; his posture is low, hands folded, eyes downcast, surrounded by the quiet authority of the sages.

Characters & Entities

• Dvijas/Brāhmaṇas
• Ānartādhipati (king)
• Prasāda (favor/grace)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The highest request is not transaction but blessing—prasāda—received through humility and surrender.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śaṃkhatīrtha remains the background cause for the king’s transformation and supplication.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No fixed rite; the verse models supplication (praṇāma) and seeking the sages’ blessing as a dharmic response.