Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

कल्माषपाद इत्युक्तस्ततःप्रभृति स क्षितौ । भूपालो द्विजशार्दूला ना्म्ना तेन विशेषतः

Transliteration

kalmāṣapāda ityuktastataḥprabhṛti sa kṣitau | bhūpālo dvijaśārdūlā nā्mnā tena viśeṣataḥ

Translation

அதன் பின்பு பூமியில் அந்த அரசன் ‘கல்மாஷபாதன்’ என்று அழைக்கப்பட்டான், ஓ இருபிறப்பினருள் புலிகளே! அந்தப் பெயராலேயே அவன் சிறப்பாகப் புகழ்பெற்றான்.

Word by Word

• कल्माषपादः: Kalmāṣapāda (one with dark/spotted feet)
• कल्माषपादः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कल्माष (प्रातिपदिक) + पाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः—कल्माषाः पादाः यस्य सः (बहुव्रीहि: “he whose feet are spotted/blackened”)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (quotative particle)

• उक्तः: was called
• उक्तः: Vidhaya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• ततःप्रभृति: from that time onward
• ततःप्रभृति: Sambandha (Temporal/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः + प्रभृति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (temporal adverb: “from then on”)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• क्षितौ: on earth; in the world
• क्षितौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षिति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• भूपालः: the king
• भूपालः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूपाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः—भू + पाल (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: “protector of the earth”)

• द्विजशार्दूलाः: O tigers among Brahmins
• द्विजशार्दूलाः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + शार्दूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; सम्बोधनार्थे (address); समासः—द्विजः शार्दूल इव (कर्मधारय: “tiger among Brahmins”)

• नाम्ना: by name
• नाम्ना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• तेन: by that; thereby
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• विशेषतः: especially
• विशेषतः: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेषतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: “especially/particularly”)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual: Purāṇic narrator addressing dvijas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A herald or court scribe proclaims the king’s new epithet; the king stands with blackened feet visible, courtiers whispering—his identity altered by a single moment.

Characters & Entities

• Kalmāṣapāda

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Actions and their consequences can mark one’s reputation in the world; dharma protects honor and legacy.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it explains the origin of a royal epithet within the narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is an etymological/narrative identification.