Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 58

Devanagari script

तत्किं पुत्रस्य विप्रेन्द्र नाधिकारः पितुर्धने । यथैवं निष्ठुरैर्वाक्यैर्निर्भर्त्सयसि मां विभो

Transliteration

tatkiṃ putrasya viprendra nādhikāraḥ piturdhane | yathaivaṃ niṣṭhurairvākyairnirbhartsayasi māṃ vibho

Translation

അപ്പോൾ ഹേ വിപ്രേന്ദ്രാ, പുത്രന് പിതാവിന്റെ ധനത്തിൽ അവകാശമില്ലയോ? ഹേ വിഭോ, എന്തുകൊണ്ട് നീ എന്നെ ഇങ്ങനെ കഠിനവാക്കുകളാൽ ശാസിക്കുന്നു?

Word by Word

• तत्: then/that
• तत्: Sambandha (Discourse deictic/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (correlative “that/then”)

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Karma/Predicate (Interrogative complement/प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम

• पुत्रस्य: of the son
• पुत्रस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: putra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• विप्रेन्द्र: O best of Brahmins
• विप्रेन्द्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक) + indra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (विप्राणाम् इन्द्रः)

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• अधिकारः: right/entitlement
• अधिकारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adhikāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• पितुः: of the father
• पितुः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• धने: in the wealth/property
• धने: Adhikaraṇa (Domain/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• यथा: how/as
• यथा: Adverbial (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (manner/comparison: “how/as”)

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Adverbial (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: “thus/in this way”)

• निष्ठुरैः: with harsh
• निष्ठुरैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: niṣṭhura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (agreeing with वाक्यैः)

• वाक्यैः: words/speeches
• वाक्यैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vākya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन

• निर्भर्त्सयसि: you rebuke
• निर्भर्त्सयसि: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nirbharts (धातु; निर्+√bharts)
• Form: लट् (Present/लट्), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• विभो: O mighty one
• विभो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vibhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

Speaker

Śaṅkha

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Likhita (addressed as viprendra)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A younger man, emotionally strained, questions a stern sage; gestures show protest and confusion; the sage remains composed, indicating dharma’s firmness.

Characters & Entities

• Śaṅkha
• Likhita

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma requires clarity about rights and boundaries; emotional closeness does not automatically settle questions of ownership.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it is a legal-ethical discussion inside a tīrtha-māhātmya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it raises a dharma-śāstric question about entitlement.