Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 86

Devanagari script

बृहद्बलस्य चादेशं ददौ संप्रस्थितः स्वयम् । त्वयैतद्योग्यतां नेयं पुरं परपुरंजय

Transliteration

bṛhadbalasya cādeśaṃ dadau saṃprasthitaḥ svayam | tvayaitadyogyatāṃ neyaṃ puraṃ parapuraṃjaya

Translation

അവൻ സ്വയം പുറപ്പെടുമ്പോൾ ബൃഹദ്ബലനോട് ആജ്ഞ നൽകി— “ഹേ പരപുരഞ്ജയ, നീ ഈ നഗരത്തെ യഥോചിതമായ ക്രമത്തിലും യോഗ്യതയിലും എത്തിക്കണം।”

Word by Word

• bṛhadbalasya: of Bṛhadbala
• bṛhadbalasya: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bṛhadbala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (नाम); पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• ādeśam: command, instruction
• ādeśam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ādeśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• dadau: gave
• dadau: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• saṃprasthitaḥ: having departed, setting out
• saṃprasthitaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-pra-sthā (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle): 'having set out/departed'; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्तरि-प्रयोग (describing the subject)

• svayam: himself
• svayam: Karta (Emphasis/कर्ता)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: svayam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (emphatic adverb): 'himself'

• tvayā: by you
• tvayā: Karana (Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• etat: this
• etat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• yogyatām: fitness, suitability
• yogyatām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yogyatā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• neyam: should be led/brought
• neyam: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nī (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; 'नेयम्' = 'नयेत्' (you should lead/bring)

• puram: city
• puram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• parapuraṃjaya: O conqueror of enemy cities
• parapuraṃjaya: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: para + puraṃjaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (परपुरंजय = परेषां पुराणि जयति इति 'conqueror of others' cities'); पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/8th), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya dialogue)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king departs on a journey, turning to instruct Bṛhadbala; Bṛhadbala stands ready with plans/scrolls; behind them, the outline of a new city or fortification is envisioned.

Characters & Entities

• Bṛhadbala

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is sustained not only by gifts but by responsible stewardship—making a settlement fit for righteous living.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The administrative act occurs within the sacred narrative frame of Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya, oriented toward Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; it emphasizes dharmic administration and preparation of a city/settlement.