Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 65

Devanagari script

यंयं प्रार्थयते विप्रं स श्राद्धार्थं महीपतिः । स स तं भर्त्सयामास दुरुक्तैः कोपसंयुतः

Transliteration

yaṃyaṃ prārthayate vipraṃ sa śrāddhārthaṃ mahīpatiḥ | sa sa taṃ bhartsayāmāsa duruktaiḥ kopasaṃyutaḥ

Translation

ശ്രാദ്ധാർത്ഥം രാജാവ് ഏത് ഏത് വിപ്രനെ അപേക്ഷിച്ചുവോ, ആ ആ വിപ്രൻ കോപം നിറഞ്ഞ് കടുത്ത വാക്കുകളാൽ അവനെ ശാസിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• यम्: whom
• यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति-प्रयोग (yaṃ yaṃ = ‘whomever’)

• यम्: whomever
• यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति

• प्रार्थयते: requests/beseeches
• प्रार्थयते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + अर्थ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• विप्रम्: a Brahmin
• विप्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• श्राद्धार्थम्: for (the purpose of) śrāddha
• श्राद्धार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; चतुर्थी-तत्पुरुषार्थे (purpose): श्राद्धाय अर्थः (for the purpose of śrāddha)

• महीपतिः: the king
• महीपतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—महीपतेः (lord of the earth)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (sa sa = ‘he, again and again’)

• सः: (that) he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• भर्त्सयामास: rebuked
• भर्त्सयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भर्त्स् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; आम-प्रत्यययुक्त-लिट् (periphrastic perfect usage)

• दुरुक्तैः: with harsh words
• दुरुक्तैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुरुक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसक/पुं (प्रयोगे), तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; करणवाचक

• कोपसंयुतः: filled with anger
• कोपसंयुतः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कोप + संयुत (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त), संयुत (endowed/associated); समासः—कोपेन संयुतः (joined with anger)

Speaker

Unspecified narrator (Purāṇic narrative voice within Nāgarakhaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king in anxious humility requesting a brāhmaṇa for śrāddha; the brāhmaṇa, stern and angry, rebukes him in a public courtyard; attendants look uneasy; ritual vessels remain unused.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even righteous intentions can meet resistance; dharma requires patience, right conduct, and proper alignment between giver and recipient.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting remains the sacred city of Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s tīrthamāhātmya; no specific tīrtha name is stated in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The king seeks brāhmaṇas to participate in/receive offerings for śrāddha.