Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

ततः सर्वान्समाहूय पुत्रपौत्रांस्तदग्रतः । प्रोवाच तारनादेन श्रूयतां जल्पतो मम

Transliteration

tataḥ sarvānsamāhūya putrapautrāṃstadagrataḥ | provāca tāranādena śrūyatāṃ jalpato mama

Translation

แล้วเขาจึงเรียกทุกคนมาชุมนุม ให้บุตรและหลานยืนอยู่เบื้องหน้า แล้วกล่าวด้วยเสียงใสกังวานว่า “จงฟังถ้อยคำที่เราจะประกาศ”

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriyavisheshana (Temporal/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अपादान/कालवाचक अव्यय (then/from there)

• सर्वान्: all
• सर्वान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; विशेषण (Masculine, Accusative, Plural)

• समाहूय: having summoned
• समाहूय: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: समाहूय (कृदन्त; धातु √ह्वे/हू (आह्वाने) उपसर्ग सम्+आ + ल्यप्)
• Form: ल्यबन्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund)

• पुत्र: sons
• पुत्र: Karma (Object within compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन (compound-member; Masculine, Accusative, Plural)

• पौत्रान्: grandsons
• पौत्रान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पौत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (पुत्र + पौत्र) (Masculine, Accusative, Plural)

• तत्: there
• तत्: Kriyavisheshana (Deictic adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् (deictic 'there')

• अग्रतः: in front
• अग्रतः: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अग्रतः (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (locative adverb: in front)

• प्रोवाच: said/spoke
• प्रोवाच: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (वचने)
• Form: लिट् (परस्मैपद), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; उपसर्ग प्र (Perfect, 3rd person singular)

• तार: loud/clear
• तार: Sambandha (Qualifier within compound)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd) एकवचन (compound-member; Masculine, Instrumental, Singular)

• नादेन: with a loud sound/voice
• नादेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (तारनाद = तारः नादः) (Masculine, Instrumental, Singular)

• श्रूयताम्: listen / let it be heard
• श्रूयताम्: Kriya (Injunctive/command)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √श्रु (श्रवणे)
• Form: लोट् (आत्मनेपद), मध्यमपुरुष, बहुवचन (Imperative, 2nd person plural; passive/impersonal sense: 'let it be heard')

• जल्पतः: of (me) speaking
• जल्पतः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जल्पत् (कृदन्त; धातु √जल्प् (भाषणे) शतृ)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्यय वर्तमान कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन (Masculine, Genitive, Singular; 'of (me) speaking')

• मम: my/of me
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन (Genitive singular pronoun)

Speaker

King (mahīpati) addressing his descendants (sons and grandsons)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An elder ruler stands or sits elevated, sons and grandsons assembled before him; he raises a hand in instruction, speaking with resonant authority in a hall with pillars and lamps.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is preserved through transmission—elders must instruct heirs to uphold righteous grants and sacred obligations.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The larger passage belongs to a tīrtha-glorifying chapter, though this verse itself functions as a royal preface to a dharmic command.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed here; it introduces an injunction (anuśāsana) to be heard and followed.