Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

अथ प्राह विशुद्धात्मा वृद्धः कुरुपितामहः । धृतराष्ट्रं महीपालं सपुत्रं प्रहसन्निव

Transliteration

atha prāha viśuddhātmā vṛddhaḥ kurupitāmahaḥ | dhṛtarāṣṭraṃ mahīpālaṃ saputraṃ prahasanniva

Translation

ແລ້ວຕໍ່ມາ ຜູ້ມີຈິດບໍລິສຸດ ຜູ້ເຖົ້າແກ່ ປູ່ໃຫຍ່ແຫ່ງຄຸຣຸ ໄດ້ເວົ້າກັບພຣະຣາຊາ ທຣິຕະຣາສະຕຣະ ພ້ອມດ້ວຍພຣະຣາຊະບຸດ ດັ່ງກັບຍິ້ມຢູ່।

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आरम्भसूचक (then)

• प्राह: said, spoke
• प्राह: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + अह् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• विशुद्धात्मा: the pure-souled one
• विशुद्धात्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशुद्ध + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: कर्मधारय (descriptive: 'pure-souled'); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन

• वृद्धः: aged, elder
• वृद्धः: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; विशेषण (of 'कुरुपितामहः')

• कुरुपितामहः: the grandsire of the Kurus (Bhīṣma)
• कुरुपितामहः: Karta (Subject apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुरु + पितामह (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative: 'grandfather of the Kurus'); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन

• धृतराष्ट्रम्: Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• धृतराष्ट्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धृतराष्ट्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन

• महीपालम्: the king
• महीपालम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही + पाल (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (determinative: 'protector of the earth'); पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन; धृतराष्ट्रस्य विशेषण

• सपुत्रम्: together with his sons
• सपुत्रम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + पुत्र (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: उपपद-तत्पुरुष/सह-समास (with sons); पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन; धृतराष्ट्रस्य विशेषण

• प्रहसन्: smiling, laughing
• प्रहसन्: Kriya-vishesana (Manner/क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + हस् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त; शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त (present active participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणभावे

• इव: as if
• इव: Sambandha (Comparison marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमा-वाचक (comparative particle: as if)

Speaker

Sūta (narrating; introduces Bhīṣma as speaker next)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Audience/śrotā; within story: Dhṛtarāṣṭra and his son

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Bhīṣma, aged and luminous with austerity, turns toward Dhṛtarāṣṭra and his son; his expression is gentle, almost smiling, as the group pauses near a sacred precinct.

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Duryodhana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic tīrtha teachings are often delivered through respected elders, framing sacred geography as authoritative counsel for rulers.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The immediate context is the approach to Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra, which Bhīṣma will praise in the following verses.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it introduces a speech within the narrative.