Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

राजोवाच । पुत्रार्थोऽयं समारंभो मया देव कृतोऽखिलः । तपसो देहि मे पुत्रांस्तस्माद्वंशविवृद्धिदान्

Transliteration

rājovāca | putrārtho'yaṃ samāraṃbho mayā deva kṛto'khilaḥ | tapaso dehi me putrāṃstasmādvaṃśavivṛddhidān

Translation

王は申し上げた。「主よ、わたしが成したこの一切の営みは、子を得んがためでございます。苦行の果として、わが家系を増し広げる子らを、どうかお授けください。」

Word by Word

• rājā: the king
• rājā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• putrārthaḥ: for the sake of a son
• putrārthaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: putra-artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (पुत्रस्य अर्थः)

• ayam: this
• ayam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (प्रातिपदिक; सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• samārambhaḥ: undertaking, endeavor
• samārambhaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: samārambha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Karana (Instrument/Agentive by)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक; सर्वनाम)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• deva: O god
• deva: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• kṛtaḥ: done, performed
• kṛtaḥ: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛta (कृदन्त; √kṛ (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि-भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle)

• akhilaḥ: entire, complete
• akhilaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: akhila (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (to samārambhaḥ)

• tapasaḥ: of austerity (tapas)
• tapasaḥ: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• dehi: give
• dehi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• me: to me
• me: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक; सर्वनाम)
• Form: चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th) एकवचन

• putrān: sons
• putrān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: putra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• tasmāt: therefore
• tasmāt: Hetu/Apādāna (Cause/Source)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक; सर्वनाम)
• Form: अव्यय; तस्मात्-शब्दः (ablatival adverb ‘therefore/from that’)

• vaṃśa-vivṛddhi-dān: who grant the increase of the lineage
• vaṃśa-vivṛddhi-dān: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vaṃśa + vivṛddhi + dā (प्रातिपदिक; ‘dān’ = दान्, दातृ-भाव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (वंशस्य विवृद्धिः तस्य दानम्/दातारः) विशेषण (to putrān)

Speaker

The King (Rājā; unnamed in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śrī Viṣṇu

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king, hands folded, earnestly petitions Viṣṇu for sons as the fruit of austerity; attendants and ritual paraphernalia suggest completion of a vow at a sacred place.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly aims (like lineage) are sought through dharmic means—tapas and devotion—rather than mere power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The request arises within the tīrtha context established by the vāpī and the austerities performed there.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A putrārtha intention is stated; the means shown is tapas (austerity) rather than a named yajña in this verse.