Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 76

Devanagari script

स ते दास्यस्त्यसंदिग्धं त्यक्त्वा प्राणानतिप्रियान् । तस्यास्थिभिः प्रहरणं वज्राख्यं ते भविष्यति

Transliteration

sa te dāsyastyasaṃdigdhaṃ tyaktvā prāṇānatipriyān | tasyāsthibhiḥ praharaṇaṃ vajrākhyaṃ te bhaviṣyati

Translation

அவர் ஐயமின்றி உனக்குக் கொடுப்பார்—மிகப் பிரியமான உயிரையும் துறந்து. அவரது எலும்புகளால் ‘வஜ்ரம்’ எனப் புகழ்பெற்ற ஆயுதம் உனக்காக உருவாகும்।

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Kartā (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; प्रथमा एकवचन; पुंलिङ्ग

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; चतुर्थी एकवचन (dative: ‘to you’)

• दास्यति: will give
• दास्यति: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dā (दा धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• असंदिग्धम्: undoubtedly
• असंदिग्धम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: a-saṃdigdha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसक-एकवचन-प्रयोगेण क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial accusative: ‘undoubtedly’)

• त्यक्त्वा: having given up
• त्यक्त्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √tyaj (त्यज् धातु) → tyaktvā (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund): ‘having abandoned’

• प्राणान्: life-breaths, life
• प्राणान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया बहुवचन

• अति-प्रियान्: most dear
• अति-प्रियान्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ati (अव्यय/उपसर्ग) + priya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उपपदपूर्वक विशेषण; पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया बहुवचन; ‘प्राणान्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; षष्ठी एकवचन

• अस्थिभिः: with (his) bones
• अस्थिभिः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asthi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया बहुवचन

• प्रहरणम्: a weapon
• प्रहरणम्: Kartā? / Kriyā-phala (Predicate nominative/प्रथमा-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: praharaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन

• वज्र-आख्यम्: called ‘Vajra’
• वज्र-आख्यम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vajra (प्रातिपदिक) + ākhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (नामधारक: ‘वज्र इति आख्यं’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; ‘प्रहरणम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• ते: for you
• ते: Sampradāna (Beneficiary/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; चतुर्थी एकवचन (dative)

• भविष्यति: will become / will be
• भविष्यति: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (भू धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Narrative context (pre-Sūta line); likely a divine adviser addressing Śakra (Indra)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Puṣkara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śakra/Indra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The sage, unwavering, agrees to give up his life-breaths; his bones become the substance for the Vajra—an image of luminous transformation from mortality to indestructible dharma-weapon.

Characters & Entities

• Dadhīci (implied)
• Vajra
• Śakra (Indra implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The highest gift is self-offering: the sage’s renunciation becomes a protective force for the cosmos.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The episode is set within the Puṣkara region associated with Sarasvatī, praised in the Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal rite is stated; the verse highlights dāna in its supreme form—self-sacrifice (ātma-tyāga) for dharma.