Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

श्रीदेव्युवाच । अत्यद्भुततरं कर्म त्वयैतत्पृथिवीपते । प्रारब्धं यन्न केनापि कृतं न च करिष्यति

Transliteration

śrīdevyuvāca | atyadbhutataraṃ karma tvayaitatpṛthivīpate | prārabdhaṃ yanna kenāpi kṛtaṃ na ca kariṣyati

Translation

श्रीदेव्युवाच—हे पृथिवीपते, त्वया प्रारब्धमेतदत्यद्भुततरं कर्म; यन्न केनापि कृतं, न च केनापि करिष्यते।

Word by Word

• śrī-devī-uvāca: Śrī Devī said
• śrī-devī-uvāca: Kriya (Speech act/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śrī (प्रातिपदिक) + devī (प्रातिपदिक) + vac (धातु)
• Form: उवाच—लिट्-लकार (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; कर्ता—श्रीदेवी (स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन)

• ati-adbhuta-taram: most/very wonderful
• ati-adbhuta-taram: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ati (अव्यय) + adbhuta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; तरप्-प्रत्यय (comparative/superlative sense: 'more/very'); अव्ययीभाव—अति + अद्भुत

• karma: deed, act
• karma: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन

• tvayā: by you
• tvayā: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन (instrumental singular)

• etat: this
• etat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन

• pṛthivī-pate: O lord of the earth
• pṛthivī-pate: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pṛthivī (प्रातिपदिक) + pati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th case), एकवचन; समासः—पृथिव्याः पतिः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• prārabdham: begun, undertaken
• prārabdham: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pra-√rabh (धातु) → prārabdha (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अत्र कर्मणि विशेषणम् ('कर्म' इत्यस्य)

• yat: which
• yat: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक-यत् (relative pronoun)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• kena-api: by anyone
• kena-api: Karana (Agent/Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + api (अव्यय)
• Form: सर्वनाम; तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन + 'अपि' (emphatic particle)

• kṛtam: done
• kṛtam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛ (धातु) → kṛta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'कर्म' इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• na: nor/not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• kariṣyati: will do
• kariṣyati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (simple future), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Śrī Devī

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śrī Devī addresses the king with wonder, declaring his undertaking unparalleled—never done before, nor to be done again; the moment is one of divine recognition.

Characters & Entities

• Śrī Devī
• Pṛthivīpati (King)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine approval is won by extraordinary self-restraint and compassion in governance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is identified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a divine commendation of the king’s vow and intent.