Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

नान्यत्किंचिन्नृपश्रेष्ठ कारणं वेद्मि तत्त्वतः । किमेतेन नृपश्रेष्ठ भूयोभूयः प्रजल्पता । बहुत्वात्कुरु तस्मान्मे यथा स्यान्नीरुजा तनुः

Transliteration

nānyatkiṃcinnṛpaśreṣṭha kāraṇaṃ vedmi tattvataḥ | kimetena nṛpaśreṣṭha bhūyobhūyaḥ prajalpatā | bahutvātkuru tasmānme yathā syānnīrujā tanuḥ

Translation

ข้าแต่พระราชาผู้ประเสริฐ ข้าพเจ้ามิรู้เหตุอื่นโดยแท้จริง การกล่าวซ้ำแล้วซ้ำเล่าจะมีประโยชน์อันใดเล่า โอ้พระราชา ฉะนั้นด้วยเดชานุภาพอันไพศาลของพระองค์ ขอทรงกระทำให้กายข้าพเจ้าปราศจากโรคเถิด

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध-निपात)

• अन्यत्: other
• अन्यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — 'anything else' (kiṃcit with adjective)

• किञ्चित्: anything
• किञ्चित्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — indefinite 'anything'

• नृपश्रेष्ठ: O best of kings
• नृपश्रेष्ठ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक-समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन — vocative; समासः: नृपाणां श्रेष्ठः

• कारणम्: cause
• कारणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — object of वेद्मि

• वेद्मि: I know
• वेद्मि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √विद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमानकाल), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद — 'I know'

• तत्त्वतः: truly
• तत्त्वतः: Adhikarana (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्त्वतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त) — 'in truth/essentially'

• किम्: what (is the point)?
• किम्: Sambandha (Interrogative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रश्नार्थक — 'what (use)?'

• एतेन: with this
• एतेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन — instrumental 'with/by this'

• नृपश्रेष्ठ: O best of kings
• नृपश्रेष्ठ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक-समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

• भूयः: again
• भूयः: Adhikarana (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भूयस् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (पुनरर्थक) — 'again/more'

• भूयः: again and again
• भूयः: Adhikarana (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भूयस् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (पुनरर्थक) — repetition for emphasis

• प्रजल्पता: by prattling/talking
• प्रजल्पता: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्र-√जल्प् (धातु) → प्रजल्पत् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ) — पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; 'by (someone) prattling'

• बहुत्वात्: because of much (talk)
• बहुत्वात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बहुत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन — ablative; 'because of abundance/muchness'

• कुरु: do; act
• कुरु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद — imperative

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Sambandha (Inference/therefore)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तस्मात् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक: तद्)
• Form: अव्ययवत् (पञ्चमी-एकवचन-रूपेण) — 'therefore/from that'

• मे: for me
• मे: Sampradana (Beneficiary/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम — षष्ठी (6th) / चतुर्थी (4th), एकवचन; अत्र दत्त-सम्बन्धे चतुर्थी-भावः ('for me')

• यथा: so that
• यथा: Sambandha (Purpose/Result marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उपमान/प्रकार) — 'so that/as'

• स्यात्: may be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (सम्भावना/आशीः), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद — 'may be'

• नीरुजा: free from disease/pain
• नीरुजा: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निः + रुज (प्रातिपदिक-समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — तनुः इति कर्तृपदस्य विशेषणम्; समासः: निःरुजा (रुज-रहित)

• तनुः: body
• तनुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — subject of स्यात्

Speaker

Unnamed afflicted person addressing the king (nṛpa)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An afflicted Brahmin, covered with disease marks, implores the king to act and restore his health; the king listens with concern and authority.

Characters & Entities

• nṛpa (king)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It highlights rāja-dharma: a ruler’s responsibility to respond with effective action, not mere speech, when a subject suffers.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this verse; it is part of a broader Tīrthamāhātmya narrative frame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific ritual is stated; the verse is a plea for intervention and cure.