Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

अथ तस्यानुजो जज्ञे शंखाख्यो धर्मशास्त्रवित् । कन्दमूलफलाहारः सदैव तपसि स्थितः

Transliteration

atha tasyānujo jajñe śaṃkhākhyo dharmaśāstravit | kandamūlaphalāhāraḥ sadaiva tapasi sthitaḥ

Translation

ఆపై ఆయనకు అనుజుడుగా ‘శంఖ’ జన్మించెను—ధర్మశాస్త్రవేత్త; కందమూలఫలాహారంతో, సదా తపస్సులో స్థిరంగా ఉండెను.

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Discourse connector (अनुक्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle; sequence)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• अनुजः: younger brother
• अनुजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनुज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• जज्ञे: was born
• जज्ञे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• शंख-आख्यः: named ‘Śaṅkha’
• शंख-आख्यः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण) of अनुजः
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शंख (प्रातिपदिक) + आख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास (तत्पुरुष: शंख इति आख्या यस्य), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण

• धर्म-शास्त्र-वित्: knower of dharma-śāstra
• धर्म-शास्त्र-वित्: Apposition (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + शास्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + विद् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘knower’)
• Form: समास (तत्पुरुष: धर्मशास्त्रस्य वित्), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• कन्द-मूल-फल-आहारः: whose food was roots, tubers, and fruits
• कन्द-मूल-फल-आहारः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण) of अनुजः
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कन्द (प्रातिपदिक) + मूल (प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक) + आहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास (तत्पुरुष: कन्दमूलफलानि आहारः यस्य), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण

• सदा: always
• सदा: Adverbial (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb of time)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle/emphasis)

• तपसि: in austerity; in penance
• तपसि: Adhikarana (Location/state/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• स्थितः: remained; stayed
• स्थितः: Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) → स्थित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (past participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘standing/remaining’

Speaker

Brahmin sages

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śaṅkhatīrtha (eponym implied)

Type: tirtha

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājā

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śaṅkha r̥ṣi, youthful yet austere, carries a staff and waterpot; nearby are forest fruits and roots; his posture conveys discipline and scriptural mastery.

Characters & Entities

• Śaṅkha
• Likhita (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Learning (śāstra-jñāna) joined with austerity (tapas) is honored as the foundation for sacred influence and tīrtha-glory.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śaṅkhatīrtha, whose name is tied to the sage Śaṅkha introduced here.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it characterizes the sage’s disciplined lifestyle as part of the tīrtha’s sanctifying backstory.