Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 85

Devanagari script

एतस्मिन्नेव काले तु वागुवाचाशरीरिणी । हर्षयन्ती महीपालं विमुक्तं ब्रह्महत्यया

Transliteration

etasminneva kāle tu vāguvācāśarīriṇī | harṣayantī mahīpālaṃ vimuktaṃ brahmahatyayā

Translation

അന്നേ സമയത്ത് ഒരു അശരീരി വാണി മുഴങ്ങി; ബ്രഹ്മഹത്യാപാപത്തിൽ നിന്ന് വിമുക്തനായ രാജാവിനെ അത് ആനന്ദിപ്പിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• एतस्मिन्: in this
• एतस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक निपात (emphatic particle)

• काले: at the time
• काले: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तु: but/then
• तु: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अन्वयार्थक निपात (but/indeed)

• वाक्: a voice
• वाक्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाच् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परस्मैपद), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परोक्षभूत/परफेक्ट

• अशरीरिणी: bodiless
• अशरीरिणी: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-शरीरिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नञ्-समास/उपपद-निर्मित विशेषण; वाक्-विशेषणम्

• हर्षयन्ती: gladdening
• हर्षयन्ती: Karta (Agent qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हृष् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (परस्मैपद-कर्तरि), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; वाक्-विशेषणम्

• महीपालम्: the king
• महीपालम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महीपाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः मही + पालः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘महीपालः’ = पृथिव्याः पालकः)

• विमुक्तम्: freed
• विमुक्तम्: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-मुच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; महीपालम्-विशेषणम्

• ब्रह्महत्यया: by/through (release from) brahmin-slaying sin
• ब्रह्महत्यया: Karana/Hetu (Instrument/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्महत्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः ब्रह्मणः हत्या (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Aśarīriṇī vāk (bodiless divine voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous, unseen presence speaks from the sky; the king looks upward with folded hands, eyes widened; attendants and sages react with reverent astonishment; the tīrtha waters shimmer as if responding.

Characters & Entities

• mahīpāla (king)
• brahmahatyā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The tīrtha’s power can erase even grievous sins, and divine testimony confirms the devotee’s release.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha in the Camatkārapura-kṣetra setting, whose effect is liberation from brahmahatyā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No new prescription here; it is a divine proclamation of the result of tīrtha contact.