Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

किं पुनर्नंदिनी यैषा सर्वकामप्रदायिनी । अपरं शृणु राजेंद्र स्मृतिवाक्यमनुत्तमम्

Transliteration

kiṃ punarnaṃdinī yaiṣā sarvakāmapradāyinī | aparaṃ śṛṇu rājeṃdra smṛtivākyamanuttamam

Translation

അപ്പോൾ സർവകാമപ്രദായിനിയായ ഈ നന്ദിനിയെക്കുറിച്ച് എത്രയോ അധികം പറയേണ്ടതുണ്ട്! ഹേ രാജേന്ദ്രാ, ഇനി സ്മൃതിയിലെ അനുത്തമ വാക്യം ശ്രവിക്കൂ.

Word by Word

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (प्रश्नार्थक/Interrogative particle)

• पुनः: again; moreover
• पुनः: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (पुनरुक्ति/Emphasis adverb)

• नन्दिनी: Nandinī (cow/name)
• नन्दिनी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नन्दिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• या: who/which
• या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• एषा: this (she)
• एषा: Apposition (विशेष्य-सामानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; निर्देशक (demonstrative)

• सर्वकामप्रदायिनी: giver of all desires
• सर्वकामप्रदायिनी: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + काम + प्रदायिनी (प्रातिपदिक; √दा (धातु) + णिनि-प्रत्यय)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘नन्दिनी’)

• अपरम्: something further; another (thing)
• अपरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘अपरम् (वचनम्)’ इत्यर्थे

• शृणु: hear; listen
• शृणु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• राजेन्द्र: O king of kings
• राजेन्द्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• स्मृतिवाक्यम्: a statement of Smṛti (law-text)
• स्मृतिवाक्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्मृति + वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• अनुत्तमम्: unsurpassed; excellent
• अनुत्तमम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘स्मृतिवाक्यम्’)

Speaker

Vasiṣṭha

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nandinī

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājendra (a king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage addresses a king, pointing toward a luminous sacred water-source named Nandinī, described as wish-fulfilling; the moment is didactic, with the aura of Smṛti authority.

Characters & Entities

• Vasiṣṭha
• Viśvāmitra
• Nandinī
• Smṛti (dharma tradition)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is upheld through scripture-backed authority; extraordinary sacred gifts warrant even stronger protection.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No named tīrtha appears in this shloka; it continues a dharma-focused episode within Tīrthamāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual instruction; it appeals to Smṛti as normative guidance for righteous conduct.