Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

तस्मात्त्वं हि क्षुधाविष्टः स्वर्गे चैव महीपते । भूषितो भूषणैः श्रेष्ठैर्विमानवरमाश्रितः

Transliteration

tasmāttvaṃ hi kṣudhāviṣṭaḥ svarge caiva mahīpate | bhūṣito bhūṣaṇaiḥ śreṣṭhairvimānavaramāśritaḥ

Translation

അതുകൊണ്ട്, ഹേ മഹീപതേ, സ്വർഗ്ഗത്തിലും നീ ക്ഷുധയാൽ പിടിക്കപ്പെട്ടിരിക്കുന്നു—ശ്രേഷ്ഠാഭരണങ്ങളാൽ അലങ്കരിക്കപ്പെട്ടും ഉത്തമ വിമാനം ആശ്രയിച്ചും ഇരുന്നിട്ടും.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तस्मात् (अव्यय/तद्-प्रातिपदिकात्)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-प्राय (ablatival adverb), हेत्वर्थ (therefore/from that)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (सामान्य), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Avyaya (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), निश्चयार्थ (indeed)

• क्षुधाविष्टः: afflicted by hunger
• क्षुधाविष्टः: Karta-viśeṣaṇa (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षुधा (प्रातिपदिक) + आविष्ट (आ + विश् धातु + क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• स्वर्गे: in heaven
• स्वर्गे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Avyaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Avyaya (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अवधारणार्थ (emphasis)

• महीपते: O king
• महीपते: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महीपति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• भूषितः: adorned
• भूषितः: Karta-viśeṣaṇa (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भूष् (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• भूषणैः: with ornaments
• भूषणैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूषण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन (Plural)

• श्रेष्ठैः: excellent
• श्रेष्ठैः: Karana-viśeṣaṇa (Instrument qualifier/करणविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन (Plural)

• विमानवरम्: a splendid aerial car (excellent vimāna)
• विमानवरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विमान + वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• आश्रितः: having resorted to/occupying
• आश्रितः: Karta-viśeṣaṇa (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + श्रि (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Indra (deduced from the immediate reply sequence; Indra speaks explicitly in 24 and the narrative flow indicates continued address to the king)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king in svarga, glittering with ornaments, seated in a splendid vimāna—yet his face shows discomfort and hunger; devas look on with concern, highlighting the moral paradox.

Characters & Entities

• Indra
• King (Mahīpati)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

External heavenly enjoyments cannot override karmic deficiency; without the merit of giving, even heaven may feel like deprivation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it supports the broader tīrtha-themed discourse on dāna and its fruits.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, the remedy is dāna—especially food and water—since hunger persists despite celestial status when charity is lacking.