Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

एवं त्रैलोक्यराज्येऽपि लब्धे तस्य द्विजोत्तमाः । न संतोषश्च संजज्ञे ब्रह्मलोकाभि कांक्षया

Transliteration

evaṃ trailokyarājye'pi labdhe tasya dvijottamāḥ | na saṃtoṣaśca saṃjajñe brahmalokābhi kāṃkṣayā

Translation

ഇങ്ങനെ ത്രൈലോക്യാധിപത്യം ലഭിച്ചിട്ടും, ഹേ ദ്വിജോത്തമന്മാരേ, അവന്‍ സന്തോഷം ഉണ്ടായില്ല; ബ്രഹ്മലോകാഭിലാഷം അവന്റെ മനസ്സിനെ കലക്കി.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of manner: “thus”)

• त्रैलोक्यराज्ये: in the sovereignty of the three worlds
• त्रैलोक्यराज्ये: Adhikaraṇa (Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रैलोक्य-राज्य (प्रातिपदिक; त्रैलोक्य + राज्य)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति (locative, 7th); एकवचन

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha/Particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/अपि-कार (particle: “even/also”)

• लब्धे: when (it was) obtained
• लब्धे: Adhikaraṇa (Locative absolute)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु) → लब्ध (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति; एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी (locative absolute)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्ति (genitive, 6th); एकवचन

• द्विजोत्तमाः: the best of the twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विजोत्तमाः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज-उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक; द्विज + उत्तम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति (nominative, 1st); बहुवचन

• न: not
• न: Negation
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation particle)

• संतोषः: contentment
• संतोषः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संतोष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (conjunction)

• संजज्ञे: arose/was born
• संजज्ञे: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + जन् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (perfect); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ब्रह्मलोकाभि: towards Brahmaloka
• ब्रह्मलोकाभि: Direction/Upapada
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ब्रह्मलोक (प्रातिपदिक) + अभि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; ‘अभि’ उपसर्गसदृश अव्यय, अभिमुख्य/प्रति (towards)

• कांक्षया: due to desire/longing
• कांक्षया: Hetu (Cause/Reason)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काङ्क्षा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति (instrumental, 3rd); एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator addressing brāhmaṇas)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: brāhmaṇas/ṛṣis addressed as ‘dvijottamāḥ’

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A powerful asura-king seated in a royal court, yet visibly restless; behind him a symbolic triple-world map (heaven, earth, netherworld) and above, a distant luminous Brahmaloka he longs for.

Characters & Entities

• Vṛtra
• Brahmaloka
• Trailokya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Desire is insatiable: even vast sovereignty cannot satisfy a mind driven by higher ambition and ego.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified in this verse; it develops the moral psychology within the Māhātmya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is a reflection on dissatisfaction and craving.