Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

परं तेन विधिस्तेषांकृतो यस्तं महीपते । शृणुष्वाऽवहितो भूत्वा वदंत्या मम सांप्रतम्

Transliteration

paraṃ tena vidhisteṣāṃkṛto yastaṃ mahīpate | śṛṇuṣvā'vahito bhūtvā vadaṃtyā mama sāṃpratam

Translation

କିନ୍ତୁ ହେ ମହୀପତେ, ସେମାନଙ୍କ ବିଷୟରେ ସେ ଏକ ବିଶେଷ ବିଧି ମଧ୍ୟ ନିର୍ଦ୍ଧାରଣ କରିଛନ୍ତି। ଏବେ ସାବଧାନ ହୋଇ ଶୁଣ; ମୁଁ ଏହିକ୍ଷଣେ କହୁଛି।

Word by Word

• परम्: however, further
• परम्: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverbial use: 'however/further')

• तेन: by that, by him
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• विधिः: rule, ordinance
• विधिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• कृतः: was made
• कृतः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• यः: which
• यः: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम

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

• महीपते: O lord of the earth
• महीपते: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महीपति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (महीपतेः पति:)

• शृणुष्व: listen
• शृणुष्व: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• अवहितः: attentive
• अवहितः: Karta-visheshana (Qualifier of subject/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अवहित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Kriya (Prior action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• वदन्त्याः: of (me) speaking
• वदन्त्याः: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive: 'of me speaking')
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (Present active participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• मम: my
• मम: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• साम्प्रतम्: now, at present
• साम्प्रतम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साम्प्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

Speaker

Mṛgī (the doe)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The doe adopts a teacher’s posture; the king lowers his bow slightly, hands in attentive stance; the forest becomes still, signaling a shift from hunt to instruction.

Characters & Entities

• mahīpati (king)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is structured by vidhi (rules); righteousness lies in respecting limits, not merely citing entitlement.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A ‘vidhi’ is announced; its content follows in the next verse.