Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

शक्रप्रस्थं समायातो महाबलपराक्रमः । शतभारं सुवर्णानां प्रगृह्य नकुलस्तथा

Transliteration

śakraprasthaṃ samāyāto mahābalaparākramaḥ | śatabhāraṃ suvarṇānāṃ pragṛhya nakulastathā

Translation

महाबलपराक्रमः स शक्रप्रस्थं समायातः। तथा नकुलोऽपि शतभारं सुवर्णानां प्रगृह्य समागतः॥

Word by Word

• śakraprastham: Śakraprastha
• śakraprastham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śakra (प्रातिपदिक) + prastha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः—‘Śakra’s city/Śakraprastha’ (स्थाननाम)

• samāyātaḥ: arrived
• samāyātaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ā-√yā (धा॒तु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘having come/arrived’

• mahā: great
• mahā: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासपूर्वपदत्वेन विशेषणम् (as compound member ‘great’)

• bala: strength
• bala: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासपूर्वपदत्वेन (strength)

• parākramaḥ: (one of) great strength and prowess
• parākramaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: parākrama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः महā-bala-parākrama (तत्पुरुषः/कर्मधारयप्रायः) ‘one whose prowess is of great strength’

• śata: hundred
• śata: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत्-प्रयोगः; समासपूर्वपदत्वेन संख्याविशेषणम्

• bhāram: a hundred-bhāra load
• bhāram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; समासः śata-bhāra (तत्पुरुषः) ‘hundred-bhāra (weight)’

• suvarṇānām: of gold
• suvarṇānām: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: suvarṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• pragṛhya: having taken up
• pragṛhya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√grah (धा॒तु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); ‘प्र+ग्रह्’—‘having taken up/seized’

• nakulaḥ: Nakula
• nakulaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nakula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• tathā: likewise; also
• tathā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/समुच्चयार्थक (likewise/also)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator, likely Sūta-style narration) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śakraprastha/Indraprastha (as dharma-capital rather than bathing-tīrtha in this passage)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nakula, youthful and radiant, enters Śakraprastha with a measured but impressive load of gold; the city’s courtyards and assembly halls await the offerings.

Characters & Entities

• Śakraprastha (Indraprastha)
• Nakula
• Suvarṇa (gold)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is collective: each participant contributes their share to uphold the larger sacred undertaking.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse names Śakraprastha (Indraprastha) as the destination; Setu-kṣetra remains the chapter’s sacred frame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicit yajña support through the conveyance of gold as ritual resources.