Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

प्रत्युप्तानेकरत्नाढ्यं तदादायच नूपुरम् । अशोकदत्तः प्रययौ तच्छ्मशानान्नृपांतिकम्

Transliteration

pratyuptānekaratnāḍhyaṃ tadādāyaca nūpuram | aśokadattaḥ prayayau tacchmaśānānnṛpāṃtikam

Translation

അനേകം രത്നങ്ങൾ പതിപ്പിച്ച ആ നൂപുരം എടുത്തുകൊണ്ട് അശോകദത്തൻ ശ്മശാനഭൂമിയിൽ നിന്ന് പുറപ്പെട്ടു രാജസന്നിധിയിലേക്കു പോയി।

Word by Word

• प्रत्युप्त: inlaid/set (in)
• प्रत्युप्त: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रति-उप् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; ‘प्रत्युप्त’ = ‘प्रत्युप्तम्’ (acc. sg. n.)

• अनेक: many
• अनेक: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनेक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; समासपूर्वपद-विशेषण (ratna-सम्बन्ध)

• रत्न: gems
• रत्न: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थे (genitive-relation in compound), अव्यक्त-विभक्ति (समासाङ्ग)

• आढ्यम्: rich/filled
• आढ्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आढ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘समृद्धम्/युक्तम्’

• नूपुरम्: anklet
• नूपुरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नूपुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• तत्: that (it)
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• आदाय: having taken
• आदाय: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial to main action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive), ‘having taken’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• अशोकदत्तः: Ashokadatta
• अशोकदत्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अशोकदत्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; नाम; समास: अशोक + दत्त (कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-नामधेय)

• प्रययौ: went
• प्रययौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-या (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तत्: that (of it)
• तत्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-सम्बन्धे (genitive sense), एकवचन; ‘तत्-’ = ‘तस्य’ अर्थे, समासपूर्वपद-निर्देशक

• श्मशानात्: from the cremation-ground
• श्मशानात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्मशान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन

• नृपान्तिकम्: to the king’s presence/near the king
• नृपान्तिकम्: Gati/Karma (Goal as object/गति-कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप + अन्तिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/गति-लक्ष्य), एकवचन; समास: नृपस्य अन्तिकम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic storyteller; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setukṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (typical frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At the edge of a cremation-ground near the sea-wind, Aśokadatta lifts a gem-studded anklet from ash-strewn ground and turns toward the palace road, resolute.

Characters & Entities

• Aśokadatta
• śmaśāna (cremation ground)
• the king (nṛpa)
• nūpura (anklet)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A dharmic person reports truth to rightful authority, turning personal courage into public protection.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Setukhaṇḍa frame relates to the Setu sacred geography; this verse mentions a śmaśāna as the immediate setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it narrates the retrieval of the jewel-anklet and approaching the king.