Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 159

Devanagari script

यस्मादिदंपुरा प्रोक्तं मनुना सत्यवादिना । स्वायंभुवेन प्रोद्दिश्य कृतघ्नं सकलं जनम्

Transliteration

yasmādidaṃpurā proktaṃ manunā satyavādinā | svāyaṃbhuvena proddiśya kṛtaghnaṃ sakalaṃ janam

Translation

കാരണം ഇത് മുമ്പേ സത്യവാദിയായ സ്വായംഭുവ മനു പ്രസ്താവിച്ചിട്ടുണ്ട്—കൃതഘ്നത സർവ്വജനത്തെയും എല്ലായിടത്തും മലിനമാക്കുന്നു എന്ന് അദ്ദേഹം സൂചിപ്പിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• यस्मात्: because
• यस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावार्थे पञ्चमी-रूप (ablatival relative: ‘because/from which’)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदं (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Sambandha (Temporal/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb: formerly)

• प्रोक्तम्: was declared
• प्रोक्तम्: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + √वच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग

• मनुना: by Manu
• मनुना: Kartr (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instr./3rd), एकवचन

• सत्यवादिना: truth-speaking
• सत्यवादिना: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्यवादिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instr./3rd), एकवचन; ‘मनुना’ इति विशेषण

• स्वायंभुवेन: Svāyambhuva (self-born)
• स्वायंभुवेन: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वायंभुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instr./3rd), एकवचन; ‘मनुना’ इति विशेषण

• प्रोद्दिश्य: having pointed out
• प्रोद्दिश्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + उद् + √दिश् (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्/क्त्वा-समकक्ष अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund: having indicated/pointed out)

• कृतघ्नम्: ungrateful
• कृतघ्नम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृतघ्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Acc./2nd), एकवचन; ‘जनम्’ इति विशेषण

• सकलम्: entire
• सकलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सकल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Acc./2nd), एकवचन; ‘जनम्’ इति विशेषण

• जनम्: people
• जनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Acc./2nd), एकवचन

Speaker

Indra (Sahasrākṣa) (deduced from context)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas of the lineages assembled

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic tableau: Indra gestures toward an imagined/depicted Manu Svāyambhuva holding a dharma-śāstra, while the assembly listens; the emphasis is on authority and truth.

Characters & Entities

• Manu Svāyambhuva
• Indra (Sahasrākṣa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Puranic dharma aligns with ancient śāstric authority: ingratitude is universally condemned.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None is explicitly mentioned in this verse; it provides dharma-based justification within the tīrtha narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse cites authoritative moral teaching rather than ritual.