Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 133

Devanagari script

ततस्तेषां धर्मराजो जायते वाक्यकारकः । अश्वत्थो वचनेनापि प्रोक्तो ज्ञानप्रदो नृणाम्

Transliteration

tatasteṣāṃ dharmarājo jāyate vākyakārakaḥ | aśvattho vacanenāpi prokto jñānaprado nṛṇām

Translation

അപ്പോൾ അവർക്കായി ധർമ്മരാജൻ വിധിവാക്യം പ്രസ്താവിക്കുന്നവനായി ഉദിക്കുന്നു. അശ്വത്ഥം വെറും ഉച്ചാരണമാത്രത്താലും മനുഷ്യർക്കു ജ്ഞാനം നൽകുന്നതായി പ്രസിദ്ധമാണ്.

Word by Word

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: Kāla/Deśa-adhikaraṇa (Adverbial/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय; तद्-तसिल्)
• Form: अव्ययम्; अव्यय-प्रकारः: क्रियाविशेषणम् (adverb: thereafter/from that)

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गः, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• धर्मराजः: Dharma-king (Yama)/king of righteousness
• धर्मराजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म + राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: धर्मस्य राजा

• जायते: is born/arises
• जायते: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; आत्मनेपदम्

• वाक्य: speech/statement
• वाक्य: Sambandha (Object within compound/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, समासाङ्ग (compound member)

• कारकः: maker/author (of a statement)
• कारकः: Samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate nominative/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: √कृ (धातु) + ण्वुल्/अक (कर्तृवाचक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; कर्तृवाचक-प्रातिपदिक; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: वाक्यस्य कारकः

• अश्वत्थः: the aśvattha tree (sacred fig)
• अश्वत्थः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्वत्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• वचनेन: by (a) word/utterance
• वचनेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपातः (particle: also/even)

• प्रोक्तः: is said/declared
• प्रोक्तः: Kriyā (Predicative participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु) + प्र + क्त
• Form: भूतकृदन्तः (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• ज्ञान: knowledge
• ज्ञान: Sambandha (Object within compound/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, समासाङ्ग (compound member)

• प्रदः: giver/bestower (of knowledge)
• प्रदः: Samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate nominative/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √दा (धातु) + क (कर्तृवाचक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः: ज्ञानं प्रददाति इति

• नृणाम्: of men/for people
• नृणाम्: Sambandha (Beneficiary/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

Speaker

Brahmā (deduced from 'Brahma–Nārada saṃvāda' colophon context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Aśvattha (nāma/guṇa-kīrtana)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A subtle cosmic court: Dharma-rāja (Yama) seated as judge, recording merits; beside him an Aśvattha radiates light; a devotee simply utters praise, and a stream of luminous letters (akṣara) rises, transforming into a jñāna-flame above the head.

Characters & Entities

• Dharmarāja (Yama)
• Aśvattha (Pippala)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma governs outcomes, while sacred remembrance—even verbal—can elevate the mind toward jñāna.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Aśvattha is praised as a sanctifying focus whose very name/praise carries spiritual potency.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Vacana/smaraṇa—uttering or reciting praise of the Aśvattha as a jñāna-enhancing act.