Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 73

Devanagari script

मध्यगं पुरतः कृत्वा तद्वक्त्रेण च तत्पुरः । कथयंतु च वृत्तांतं मद्यपान समुद्भवम्

Transliteration

madhyagaṃ purataḥ kṛtvā tadvaktreṇa ca tatpuraḥ | kathayaṃtu ca vṛttāṃtaṃ madyapāna samudbhavam

Translation

彼を中央に置いて前へ進ませ、王の御前において、彼自身の口から、酒を飲んだことより起こった顛末を語らせよ。

Word by Word

• मध्यगम्: placed in the middle; central
• मध्यगम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मध्य + ग (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषण (तं/कञ्चित्)

• पुरतः: in front
• पुरतः: Modifier (देशवाचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb of place)

• कृत्वा: having done/made
• कृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Absolutive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• तद्वक्त्रेण: by his mouth; through his speech
• तद्वक्त्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् + वक्त्र (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करणे), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• तत्पुरः: before him/thereupon in front
• तत्पुरः: Modifier (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् + पुरस् (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्यय (adverb)

• कथयन्तु: let them tell
• कथयन्तु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथय् (धातु; णिच्)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (imperative), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• वृत्तान्तम्: account; incident
• वृत्तान्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृत्तान्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• मद्यपानसमुद्भवम्: arising from drinking wine
• मद्यपानसमुद्भवम्: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मद्य + पान + समुद्भव (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (वृत्तान्तम्)

Speaker

Bhartṛyajña (continuing)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Townsmen/attendants; addressed toward the king’s hearing

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An accused man is placed in the middle of the assembly; he is brought forward to face the king; he narrates the incident caused by drinking liquor; the crowd watches, some compassionate, some stern.

Characters & Entities

• Bhartṛyajña
• Rājā (implied by 'in his presence')

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It underscores accountability: a wrongdoing should be narrated truthfully and directly, even before authority, as part of restoring dharmic order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is identified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A procedural instruction is given—publicly stating the incident in the ruler’s presence; it is not a detailed rite like snāna or dāna.