Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 85

Devanagari script

अथोवाच नृपः कृच्छ्रात्पिपासा मां प्रबाधते । तस्माद्वदत पानीयं यत्पीत्वा कीर्तयाम्यहम्

Transliteration

athovāca nṛpaḥ kṛcchrātpipāsā māṃ prabādhate | tasmādvadata pānīyaṃ yatpītvā kīrtayāmyaham

Translation

แล้วพระราชาตรัสด้วยความทุกข์ร้อนว่า “ความกระหายบีบคั้นข้ายิ่งนัก เพราะฉะนั้นจงบอกน้ำดื่มนั้นแก่ข้า—เมื่อได้ดื่มแล้ว ข้าจักสรรเสริญเกียรติคุณของมัน”

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तर-अव्यय (Sequential particle: then/now)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd), एकवचनम्

• नृपः: the king
• नृपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम्

• कृच्छ्रात्: from distress/with difficulty
• कृच्छ्रात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛcchra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे (प्रायः), पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः (Ablative/5th), एकवचनम्; हेतौ (from/owing to hardship)

• पिपासा: thirst
• पिपासा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pipāsā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम्

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम्

• प्रबाधते: afflicts/torments
• प्रबाधते: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra+bādh (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd), एकवचनम्

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात्-इत्यव्ययप्रयोगः (Ablatival adverb: therefore)

• वदत: tell (you all)/say
• वदत: Kriyā (Injunction/आज्ञा)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vad (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुषः (2nd), बहुवचनम्

• पानीयम्: water/drinkable water
• पानीयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pānīya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम्

• यत्: which
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम्; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• पीत्वा: having drunk
• पीत्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pā (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया (having drunk)

• कीर्तयामि: I will praise/celebrate
• कीर्तयामि: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kīrtaya (नामधातु/धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपदम्, उत्तमपुरुषः (1st), एकवचनम्

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम्

Speaker

King (Vidūratha, named later in 18.90)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A distressed king speaks plainly: thirst torments him; he asks for water and promises to proclaim its greatness after drinking—an oath-like moment of humility.

Characters & Entities

• Vidūratha (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Need becomes devotion when one seeks not only relief but also the chance to praise the sacred gift (kīrtana of tīrtha).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A local sacred water source is implied; the specific tīrtha name is not provided in this single verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied practice: drinking tīrtha-water with reverence and then praising its sanctity (kīrtana).