Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

स नैच्छत तदा राज्यं पितृपैतामहं महत् । समागतमपि प्राज्ञो यस्मात्तद्वो वदाम्यहम्

Transliteration

sa naicchata tadā rājyaṃ pitṛpaitāmahaṃ mahat | samāgatamapi prājño yasmāttadvo vadāmyaham

Translation

ครั้งนั้นผู้มีปัญญานั้น แม้ราชอาณาจักรอันยิ่งใหญ่ของบิดาและปู่จะมาถึงตน ก็หาได้ปรารถนาไม่; ด้วยเหตุนี้เราจึงกล่าวเรื่องนี้แก่ท่านทั้งหลาย

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation)

• ऐच्छत: desired/wanted
• ऐच्छत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √इष् (धातु; इच्छति)
• Form: लङ् (भूतकाल), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (then)

• राज्यम्: kingdom
• राज्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन

• पितृपैतामहम्: ancestral (paternal/grandpaternal)
• पितृपैतामहम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पितृ + पैतामह (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन; विशेषण: ‘पितृ- पितामह-सम्बन्धि’ (ancestral, of father and grandfather)

• महत्: great
• महत्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन; विशेषण

• समागतम्: that had come/been obtained
• समागतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + आ + √गम् (धातु; क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन; ‘प्राप्तम्’ (having come/obtained)

• अपि: even/although
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अप्यर्थे (even/also)

• प्राज्ञः: the wise one
• प्राज्ञः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; विशेष्य (wise man)

• यस्मात्: because/from which
• यस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी एकवचन; हेतुवाचक (from which/because)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• वः: to you
• वः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी/षष्ठी बहुवचन (enclitic; here dative sense ‘to you’)

• वदामि: I say/tell
• वदामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमानकाल), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा एकवचन; सर्वनाम

Speaker

Narrator of the Tīrthamāhātmya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A wise prince turns away from a throne and royal insignia, gaze directed toward Viṣṇu or a sacred emblem; attendants astonished; mood of calm resolve.

Characters & Entities

• Prahlāda (implied)
• Rājya (Kingship)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True wisdom is shown in detachment: even rightful power is secondary to spiritual purpose and dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it functions as moral-narrative support within the māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it highlights inner discipline (vairāgya) rather than an external rite.