Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

नृपुरांतरसि द्ध्यर्थं चिंतयामास चेतसा । श्मशाने नूपुरमिदं यतः प्राप्तं मया पुरा

Transliteration

nṛpurāṃtarasi ddhyarthaṃ ciṃtayāmāsa cetasā | śmaśāne nūpuramidaṃ yataḥ prāptaṃ mayā purā

Translation

เพื่อให้สำเร็จในการหาทางเข้าไปยังเขตชั้นในแห่งนครของพระราชา เขาครุ่นคิดในใจว่า “กำไลข้อเท้านี้ ข้าเคยได้มาครั้งก่อนจากป่าช้า”

Word by Word

• नृपुर-अन्तर-सिद्धि-अर्थम्: for the purpose of accomplishing (obtaining) the inner part of the anklet
• नृपुर-अन्तर-सिद्धि-अर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृपुर (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक) + सिद्धि (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (अर्थे)

• चिन्तयामास: he pondered / thought
• चिन्तयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चिन्त् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• चेतसा: with (his) mind
• चेतसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चेतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• श्मशाने: in the cremation ground
• श्मशाने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्मशान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• नूपुरम्: anklet
• नूपुरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नूपुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• यतः: from where / from which (source)
• यतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बन्धार्थे (relative adverb: 'from which/whence')

• प्राप्तम्: obtained / received
• प्राप्तम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु) + त (क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• मया: by me
• मया: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• पुरा: formerly / earlier
• पुरा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (adverb of time)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; Setukhaṇḍa narrative voice)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: एकः धूर्त/वीरः पुरुषः नगरस्य अन्तःपुर-प्रवेशोपायं चिन्तयन्; मनसि श्मशानात् प्राप्तं नूपुरं स्मरति—पृष्ठभूमौ धूसर-श्मशान, कपाल-स्थल, श्मशानदीपाः।

Characters & Entities

• nṛpa (king)
• śmaśāna (cremation-ground)
• nūpura (anklet)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It highlights how impure or fearsome places like the cremation-ground can become pivotal in destiny; Purāṇic narratives often warn that desire-driven schemes begin with recollection of such dark associations.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader setting is the Setukhaṇḍa (Setu/Rāmeśvara sacred region), though this verse itself focuses on a śmaśāna episode rather than praising a specific tīrtha by name.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual (snāna, dāna, japa, vrata) is prescribed in this verse.