Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 56

Devanagari script

तच्छ्रुत्वा स चतुर्वक्त्रः शक्रमाह ततः परम् । युक्तमेव शिखी प्राह किमर्थं न च वर्षसि

Transliteration

tacchrutvā sa caturvaktraḥ śakramāha tataḥ param | yuktameva śikhī prāha kimarthaṃ na ca varṣasi

Translation

ເມື່ອໄດ້ຍິນແລ້ວ ຜູ້ມີສີ່ໜ້າ (ພຣະພຣະຫມາ) ຈຶ່ງກ່າວຕໍ່ພຣະສັກກະ (ອິນທຣະ) ອີກວ່າ: “ອັກນີໄດ້ກ່າວຖືກແທ້. ເປັນຫຍັງເຈົ້າຈຶ່ງບໍ່ໃຫ້ຝົນຕົກ?”

Word by Word

• tat: that (it)
• tat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• śrutvā: having heard
• śrutvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु) + ktvā (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having heard)

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• caturvaktraḥ: the four-faced one (Brahmā)
• caturvaktraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: catur (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + vaktra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहिसमास; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेष्यः (he who has four faces)

• śakram: Śakra (Indra)
• śakram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śakra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• āha: said
• āha: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ah (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• tataḥ: then/from that
• tataḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• param: afterwards/next
• param: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययप्रयोग (adverbial accusative); ‘thereafter/next’ अर्थे

• yuktam: proper/fitting
• yuktam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yukta (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-विशेषण)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेयविशेषण (predicate adjective)

• eva: indeed/only
• eva: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• śikhī: Śikhī (the crested one)
• śikhī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śikhin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘मयूरः/अग्निः’ इत्यर्थे (contextually: one with a crest; here a speaker)

• prāha: said
• prāha: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ah (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• kimartham: why/for what reason
• kimartham: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास; अव्ययप्रयोग (interrogative adverb) ‘for what reason?’

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• varṣasi: you rain
• varṣasi: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vṛṣ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान/Present), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

Speaker

Sūta (narration of Brahmā’s speech; direct address by Brahmā)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā (four-faced) turns toward Indra in a celestial assembly, affirming Agni’s statement and questioning the withholding of rain; devas attentive, clouds restrained in the sky.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā (Caturvaktra)
• Śakra (Indra)
• Agni (Śikhī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cosmic roles are dharmic responsibilities; even gods must justify actions that harm beings through drought.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No holy site is named in this verse; it is part of a theological dialogue supporting the chapter’s tīrtha-māhātmya frame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the focus is on the duty of rainfall (varṣa) and moral inquiry.