Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

एवं मे गुरुतां प्राप्तो मधुपो द्विजसत्तमाः । इषुकारो यथा जातस्तथा चैव ब्रवीमि वः

Transliteration

evaṃ me gurutāṃ prāpto madhupo dvijasattamāḥ | iṣukāro yathā jātastathā caiva bravīmi vaḥ

Translation

హే ద్విజశ్రేష్ఠులారా! ఈ విధంగా నేను గురుత్వగౌరవాన్ని పొందితిని—మధుపమువలె; మరియు ఇషుకారుడు (బాణకారుడు) యథా నిపుణుడయ్యెనో, అలాగే ఈ తత్త్వాన్ని మీకు ప్రకటించుచున్నాను.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of manner)

• मे: of me / my
• मे: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• गुरुताम्: heaviness/weight
• गुरुताम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरुता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• प्राप्तः: having attained / attained
• प्राप्तः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप्त (प्रातिपदिक; √आप्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle)

• मधुपः: bee
• मधुपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मधुप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• द्विजसत्तमाः: O best of the twice-born
• द्विजसत्तमाः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (द्विजानां सत्तमाः)

• इषुकारः: arrow-maker
• इषुकारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इषुकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (इषूणां कारः/कर्ता)

• यथा: as
• यथा: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमान/प्रकारवाचक (as/just as)

• जातः: was born / arose
• जातः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जात (प्रातिपदिक; √जन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त

• तथा: so
• तथा: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (so/in that manner)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle)

• ब्रवीमि: I tell
• ब्रवीमि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person), एकवचन

• वः: to you / of you
• वः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी/षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Dat./Gen.), बहुवचन

Speaker

Unspecified first-person narrator addressing dvijas

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvija-sattamāḥ (addressed brāhmaṇas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A wandering seeker addresses assembled brāhmaṇas; beside him symbolic vignettes: a honey-bee sipping from many flowers and a fletcher shaping arrows with unwavering focus.

Characters & Entities

• madhupa
• iṣukāra
• dvija

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual mastery is gained through focused practice and discerning essence—like a bee gathering nectar and a fletcher perfecting skill through concentration.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it continues the didactic portion of the Māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the stress is on disciplined attention, discernment, and the cultivation of competence in dharma/knowledge.