Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

नाभाग उवाच । सहस्राणां शतं मूल्यं निषादेभ्यो ददाम्यहम् । निग्रहाख्यस्य भगवन्यथाह ब्रह्मनंदनः

Transliteration

nābhāga uvāca | sahasrāṇāṃ śataṃ mūlyaṃ niṣādebhyo dadāmyaham | nigrahākhyasya bhagavanyathāha brahmanaṃdanaḥ

Translation

நாபாகன் கூறினான்—“பகவனே, நிஷாதர்களுக்கு நான் ஒரு இலட்சம் அளவிலான விலையை அளிப்பேன்—‘நிக்ரஹ’ என அழைக்கப்படுபவனைப் பற்றிப் பிரம்மபுதல்வன் கூறியபடியே.”

Word by Word

• नाभागः: Nābhāga
• नाभागः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाभाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• सहस्राणाम्: of thousands
• सहस्राणाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Genitive plural)

• शतम्: a hundred
• शतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; संख्यावाचक

• मूल्यम्: as the price
• मूल्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘शतं’ इत्यस्य विशेष्य/विधेयभाव

• निषादेभ्यः: to the Niṣādas
• निषादेभ्यः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निषाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), बहुवचन

• ददामि: I give
• ददामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• निग्रहाख्यस्य: of (one) named ‘Nigraha’
• निग्रहाख्यस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निग्रह + आख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (निग्रह इति आख्या यस्य/निग्रह-आख्य), पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी एकवचन; सम्बन्धः—कस्य?

• भगवन्: O venerable one; O Lord
• भगवन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• यथा: as; just as
• यथा: Sambandha (Adverbial relation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—उपमान/प्रकारवाचक (adverb: ‘as, just as’)

• आह: said
• आह: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अह्/ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• ब्रह्मनन्दनः: son of Brahmā
• ब्रह्मनन्दनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् + नन्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (ब्रह्मणः नन्दनः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन

Speaker

Nabhāga

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: (Implied) internal audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nābhāga publicly declares a vast payment—‘a hundred thousands’—to the niṣādas; attendants bring coin-bags or treasure trays; fishermen look relieved; the sage observes approvingly.

Characters & Entities

• Nabhāga
• Niṣādas
• Brahmanandana (son of Brahmā)
• Nigraha (name referenced)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A dharmic ruler responds promptly with generosity and deference to saintly instruction, offering substantial recompense when asked.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where acts of dāna and righteous settlement are showcased as spiritually elevating.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna in the form of a large payment/compensation to the Niṣādas is proposed.