Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 148

Devanagari script

द्रष्टुकामाश्च निर्वाणं राज्ञो जनपदास्तथा । संप्राप्तास्तेऽपि दृष्ट्वैव नभोमार्गेण चक्रिणम्

Transliteration

draṣṭukāmāśca nirvāṇaṃ rājño janapadāstathā | saṃprāptāste'pi dṛṣṭvaiva nabhomārgeṇa cakriṇam

Translation

രാജാവിന്റെ നിർവാണം ദർശിക്കുവാൻ ആഗ്രഹിച്ച സമീപജനപദങ്ങളിലെ ജനങ്ങളും അവിടെ എത്തി; ആകാശമാർഗ്ഗത്തിൽ സഞ്ചരിക്കുന്ന ചക്രവർത്തിയെ കണ്ടമാത്രത്തിൽ അവരുടെ ലക്ഷ്യവും സഫലമായി।

Word by Word

• द्रष्टुकामाः: desiring to see
• द्रष्टुकामाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्रष्टु (तुमुनन्त; √दृश् ‘to see’) + काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन — समासः: द्रष्टुं कामः येषाम् (उपपद-तत्पुरुष/बहुव्रीहि-प्राय); ‘eager to see’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक)

• निर्वाणम्: liberation/peace
• निर्वाणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निर्वाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — कर्म; ‘मोक्ष/शान्ति’ (accusative singular)

• राज्ञः: of the king
• राज्ञः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन — सम्बन्ध (genitive singular)

• जनपदाः: the people of the realm
• जनपदाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जनपद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन — कर्तृपद; ‘देशवासी जनाः’ (nominative plural)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) — likewise/also

• संप्राप्ताः: arrived
• संप्राप्ताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संप्राप्त (कृदन्त, क्त; √आप् ‘to obtain/reach’ + सम्-प्र-)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन — क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; ‘आगताः/प्राप्ताः’ (having arrived)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन — सर्वनाम (they/those)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (सम्भावना/समुच्चय) — ‘also/even’

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दृष्ट्वा (कृदन्त, त्वान्त; √दृश् ‘to see’)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय — ‘having seen’

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अवधारण) — emphatic particle ‘indeed/just’

• नभोमार्गेण: by the path of the sky (through the air)
• नभोमार्गेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नभस् (प्रातिपदिक) + मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन — समासः: नभसः मार्गः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष); करण (instrumental singular)

• चक्रिणम्: the discus-bearer (Viṣṇu)
• चक्रिणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्रिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — कर्म; ‘चक्रधारिणम्’ (the discus-bearer)

Speaker

Brahmā to Nārada (deduced for Vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ayodhyā-kṣetra (mokṣa-darśana episode)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Provincial crowds arriving from afar, gazing upward as the cakrin sovereign moves through the sky-path; astonishment and devotion ripple through the assembly as their purpose is instantly fulfilled.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma (cakrin/king)
• Janapadas (provinces)
• Nirvāṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even a single, faithful darśana of the divinely established king is portrayed as spiritually transformative and goal-fulfilling.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ayodhyā, whose fame draws people from distant janapadas to witness liberation-associated divine events.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the act emphasized is darśana (seeing) and pilgrimage-motivated arrival to witness a sacred event.