Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

त्रिशंकुरुवाच । भगवन्यष्टुमिच्छामि तेन यज्ञेन सांप्रतम् । गम्यते त्रिदिवं येन सशरीरेण सत्वरम्

Transliteration

triśaṃkuruvāca | bhagavanyaṣṭumicchāmi tena yajñena sāṃpratam | gamyate tridivaṃ yena saśarīreṇa satvaram

Translation

ତ୍ରିଶଙ୍କୁ କହିଲେ— ହେ ଭଗବନ୍, ମୁଁ ଏବେ ସେହି ଯଜ୍ଞ କରିବାକୁ ଇଚ୍ଛା କରୁଛି, ଯାହାଦ୍ୱାରା ଏହି ଶରୀର ସହିତ ଶୀଘ୍ର ସ୍ୱର୍ଗଲୋକକୁ ଗମନ ହୁଏ।

Word by Word

• त्रिशङ्कुः: Triśaṅku
• त्रिशङ्कुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिशङ्कु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• भगवन्: O venerable one
• भगवन्: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (8), एकवचन; संबोधन

• यष्टुम्: to perform sacrifice
• यष्टुम्: Prayojana (Purpose)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √यज् (धातु) + तुमुन् (कृदन्त; infinitive)
• Form: तुमुनन्त (infinitive); क्रियार्थक (purpose)

• इच्छामि: I desire
• इच्छामि: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √इष् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तेन: by that
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक; तृतीया-विभक्ति (3), एकवचन; करण (‘by/with that’)

• यज्ञेन: by the sacrifice
• यज्ञेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति (3), एकवचन; करण

• साम्प्रतम्: now
• साम्प्रतम्: Kriya-visheshana (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साम्प्रतम् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: ‘now/at present’)

• गम्यते: is gone/reached
• गम्यते: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• त्रिदिवम्: heaven
• त्रिदिवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिदिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2), एकवचन; कर्म (goal)

• येन: by which
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक; तृतीया-विभक्ति (3), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-यत् (‘by which’)

• सशरीरेण: with (my) body intact
• सशरीरेण: Kriya-visheshana (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स + शरीर (उपपद-समास/अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोग)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-प्राय प्रयोग; तृतीया-अर्थे क्रियाविशेषण (‘with the body’)

• सत्वरम्: quickly
• सत्वरम्: Kriya-visheshana (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सत्वरम् (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb: quickly)

Speaker

Triśaṅku

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Triśaṅku, hands folded, petitions Vasiṣṭha for a yajña granting bodily ascent to heaven; a faint celestial vista (svarga) is suggested above, hinting at the extraordinary aim.

Characters & Entities

• Triśaṅku
• Vasiṣṭha (addressed)
• Tridiva (heaven)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual aspiration must be aligned with cosmic law; extraordinary desires invite scrutiny about what is truly attainable through ritual.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this verse; the focus is the king’s wish for a rare ritual outcome.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A specific, exceptional yajña is requested—one believed to grant immediate ascent to heaven with the physical body.