Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 59

Devanagari script

नंदभद्र सदा तुभ्यं वक्तुकामोस्मि किंचन । प्रस्तावस्याप्यभावाच्च नोदितं च मया क्वचित्

Transliteration

naṃdabhadra sadā tubhyaṃ vaktukāmosmi kiṃcana | prastāvasyāpyabhāvācca noditaṃ ca mayā kvacit

Translation

நந்தபத்ரா, உனக்கு ஒரு விஷயம் சொல்ல வேண்டும் என்று நான் எப்போதும் விரும்பினேன்; ஆனால் தக்க வாய்ப்பு இல்லாததால் இதுவரை ஒருபோதும் சொல்லவில்லை।

Word by Word

• naṃdabhadra: O Nandabhadra
• naṃdabhadra: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: naṃdabhadra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; संबोधन (8th), एकवचन

• sadā: always
• sadā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक-क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of time)

• tubhyaṃ: to you
• tubhyaṃ: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी (4th), एकवचन; दान/सम्प्रदान

• vaktukāmaḥ: desirous to speak
• vaktukāmaḥ: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vaktuṃ+kāma (प्रातिपदिक; ‘vaktuṃ’ from vac (धातु) तुमुन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण; समासः—तत्पुरुष (वक्तुं कामः = desirous to speak)

• asmi: I am
• asmi: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present); उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• kiṃcana: something
• kiṃcana: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kiṃcana (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; अनिर्दिष्ट-वस्तु (indefinite)

• prastāvasya: of an occasion/context
• prastāvasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prastāva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• api: even/also
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• abhāvāt: due to absence
• abhāvāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: abhāva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थ (cause)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• uditam: spoken
• uditam: Karma (Predicate nominal/object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ud+vac (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘उदितम्’ = spoken/uttered

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Karta (Agent in passive sense/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करण/कर्तृ-निर्देश (agent/instrument)

• kvacit: ever/at any time
• kvacit: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kvacit (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देश/कालवाचक (adverb: ever/anywhere)

Speaker

Satyavrata addressing Nandabhadra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nandabhadra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Satyavrata speaks with measured gravity, indicating he has long held a teaching back due to lack of occasion; Nandabhadra listens with growing anticipation.

Characters & Entities

• Satyavrata
• Nandabhadra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even true advice should be spoken at the right time; dharmic speech considers context (prastāva).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it concerns etiquette and ethics of counsel.