Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

तथा देयो वरो मह्यं भवद्भिर्यदि स्वर्गपाः । तदेषा शूलिकाऽस्माकं स्पर्शाद्भूयात्सुधर्मदा

Transliteration

tathā deyo varo mahyaṃ bhavadbhiryadi svargapāḥ | tadeṣā śūlikā'smākaṃ sparśādbhūyātsudharmadā

Translation

ഹേ സ്വർഗ്ഗപാലകരേ! നിങ്ങൾ സത്യമായി എനിക്ക് വരം നൽകുമെങ്കിൽ, ഈ നമ്മുടെ ശൂലിക സ്പർശമാത്രം കൊണ്ടുതന്നെ ജനങ്ങൾക്ക് സദ്ധർമ്മം നൽകുന്നവളാകട്ടെ.

Word by Word

• तथा: thus, in that manner
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/रीति-वाचक (adverb of manner)

• देयः: to be given, grantable
• देयः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dā (दा-धातु) + ya (प्रत्यय) → deya (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त (भाव्य/योग्यतार्थे); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (predicative)

• वरः: a boon
• वरः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

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

• भवद्भिः: by you (honorific), by you all
• भवद्भिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhavat (भवत्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम/सत्कारार्थ-शब्द; तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Clause marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्त/सम्भावना-वाचक (conditional particle)

• स्वर्गपाः: O guardians of heaven
• स्वर्गपाः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svarga-pā (स्वर्ग + पा [प्रातिपदिक])
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी/उपपद-समासार्थः: स्वर्गस्य पाः); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• तत्: then, therefore
• तत्: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (तद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; तस्मात्/तर्हि-अर्थे (then/therefore)

• एषा: this (she/this one)
• एषा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (एतद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• शूलिका: the stake/impaling spike (śūlikā)
• शूलिका: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śūlikā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• अस्माकम्: of us, our
• अस्माकम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (अस्मद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• स्पर्शात्: from (its) touch, by touching
• स्पर्शात्: Apadana (Source/Cause/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sparśa (स्पर्श-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; हेतौ/अपादाने (ablative of cause/from)

• भूयात्: may it become
• भूयात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (भू-धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• सुधर्मदा: giver of good dharma/virtue
• सुधर्मदा: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su-dharma-dā (सु + धर्म + दा [प्रातिपदिक])
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कर्मधारय/उपपदभावः: सुधर्मं ददाति इति); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (of śūlikā)

Speaker

Māṇḍavya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage petitions the devas for a boon: a śūlikā (stake/pillar) at a sacred spot should become dharma-bestowing by mere touch; devas appear in the sky, attentive and radiant.

Characters & Entities

• Māṇḍavya
• Devas (Svargapāḥ)
• Śūlikā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Through divine sanction, even a simple object can become a vehicle of dharma—showing how sacred power is localized in tīrtha contexts.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The local Nāgara-khaṇḍa kṣetra is implied, where the śūlikā becomes a sanctified feature connected to the tīrtha’s merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A prescribed act of sparśa (touch) of the śūlikā, framed as a boon-bestowed means to promote/restore dharma.