Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 61

Devanagari script

इंद्रद्युम्न उवाच । तपसः किं प्रभावोऽयं दानस्य नियमस्य च । यदायुरीदृशं जातं बकत्वेऽपि वदस्व नः

Transliteration

iṃdradyumna uvāca | tapasaḥ kiṃ prabhāvo'yaṃ dānasya niyamasya ca | yadāyurīdṛśaṃ jātaṃ bakatve'pi vadasva naḥ

Translation

ഇന്ദ്രദ്യുമ്നൻ പറഞ്ഞു—തപസ്സ്, ദാനം, നിയമാനുഷ്ഠാനം ഇവയുടെ പ്രഭാവം എന്താണ്? ബകാവസ്ഥയിലുപോലും ഇത്തരമൊരു ആയുസ്സ് എങ്ങനെ ലഭിച്ചു? ഞങ്ങളോട് പറയുക.

Word by Word

• इंद्रद्युम्नः: Indradyumna
• इंद्रद्युम्नः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इंद्रद्युम्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• तपसः: of austerity
• तपसः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• किम्: what
• किम्: Visheshya (Interrogative complement/प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रभावः: power, effect
• प्रभावः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Visheshana (Demonstrative qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• दानस्य: of giving, charity
• दानस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• नियमस्य: of observance, restraint
• नियमस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नियम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• यत्: that which
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular), सम्बन्धसूचक (relative)

• आयुः: lifespan
• आयुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• ईदृशम्: such, like this
• ईदृशम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ईदृश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• जातम्: has arisen, has become
• जातम्: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि-भाव (resultant state)

• बकत्वे: in the state of being a crane
• बकत्वे: Adhikarana (Location/state/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बकत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• वदस्व: tell (please)
• वदस्व: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद

• नः: to us / for us
• नः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Gen./Dat.), बहुवचनार्थे (1st person plural enclitic)

Speaker

Indradyumna

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ghṛtakambala

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Baka

Visual Art Cues

Scene: King Indradyumna, regal yet humble, questions the ancient Baka about the power of austerity, charity, and vows that produced extraordinary lifespan despite a cursed form.

Characters & Entities

• Indradyumna
• Tapas
• Dāna
• Niyama
• Baka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tapas, dāna, and niyama are presented as real forces shaping destiny; dharmic discipline bears fruit across lives and conditions.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of the local tīrtha-mahātmya narrative that will connect merit to the Śiva-site context (Jāgeśvara) and its sanctifying power.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The triad—tapas (austerity), dāna (charity), and niyama (observances/vows)—is invoked as the operative dharmic discipline, though no single rite is specified here.