Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

पितोवाच । बाल्ये पुत्र मया नीतस्त्वं पुष्टिं व्याकुलात्मना । शुभाऽशुभानि कृत्यानि कृत्वा स्निग्धेन चेतसा

Transliteration

pitovāca | bālye putra mayā nītastvaṃ puṣṭiṃ vyākulātmanā | śubhā'śubhāni kṛtyāni kṛtvā snigdhena cetasā

Translation

O pai disse: “Filho, na tua infância eu te criei com o coração inquieto, praticando atos—bons e maus—com afeto e cuidado.”

Word by Word

• पिता: father
• पिता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — masculine nominative singular

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — perfect, 3rd person singular

• बाल्ये: in childhood
• बाल्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन — neuter locative singular

• पुत्र: O son
• पुत्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन — masculine vocative singular

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन — 1st person pronoun, instrumental singular

• नीतः: led/brought
• नीतः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नी (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — past passive participle, masculine nominative singular

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — 2nd person pronoun, nominative singular

• पुष्टिम्: nourishment/prosperity
• पुष्टिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — feminine accusative singular

• व्याकुलात्मना: with an agitated mind
• व्याकुलात्मना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्याकुल + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन — masculine instrumental singular; समासः कर्मधारयः (व्याकुलः आत्मा यस्य/व्याकुलात्मा)

• शुभानि: good
• शुभानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन — neuter accusative plural (qualifying कृत्यानि)

• अशुभानि: bad
• अशुभानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अशुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन — neuter accusative plural (qualifying कृत्यानि)

• कृत्यानि: acts/deeds
• कृत्यानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन — neuter accusative plural

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृ (धातु) + त्वा (अव्यय-कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund) — having done

• स्निग्धेन: with affectionate
• स्निग्धेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्निग्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन — instrumental singular (qualifying चेतसा)

• चेतसा: mind/heart
• चेतसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चेतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन — neuter instrumental singular

Speaker

Father

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: putra (son)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An aged father speaks to his grown son, recalling childhood: the father’s protective posture, the son listening with folded hands; a modest household setting suggesting years of toil and affection.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly life often mixes good and bad actions; dharma requires recognizing this complexity while seeking the right course.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is explicitly mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a personal testimony within a moral dialogue.