Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

शांत्यर्थं प्रेषणीयस्तु सोऽद्यापि च द्विजोत्तम । तस्योपरि परा भक्तिर्मम जाताऽद्य केवलम्

Transliteration

śāṃtyarthaṃ preṣaṇīyastu so'dyāpi ca dvijottama | tasyopari parā bhaktirmama jātā'dya kevalam

Translation

โอ้พราหมณ์ผู้ประเสริฐ เขายังพึงถูกส่งไปเพื่อพิธีศานติ วันนี้แท้จริงแล้ว ศรัทธาภักดีอันสูงสุดของข้าพเจ้าบังเกิดขึ้นต่อเขาเพียงผู้เดียว

Word by Word

• शान्त्यर्थम्: for (the sake of) peace
• शान्त्यर्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शान्ति + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (शान्त्याः अर्थम् = for the sake of peace); पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थे (accusative of purpose)

• प्रेषणीयः: should be sent
• प्रेषणीयः: Vidheyaviśeṣaṇa (Predicative adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-√इष्/√प्रेष् (धातु) + अनीय (कृत्प्रत्यय)
• Form: अनीय-प्रत्ययान्त भाव्य/कर्तव्यतावाचक कृदन्त (gerundive: 'to be sent'); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तु: indeed / however
• तु: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/अन्वयबोधक निपात

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

• अद्यापि: even today / still
• अद्यापि: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य + अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (even today/still)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• द्विजोत्तम: O best of the twice-born
• द्विजोत्तम: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (द्विजानाम् उत्तमः); पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (vocative), एकवचन

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी, एकवचन

• उपरि: upon / towards
• उपरि: Adhikaraṇa/Viṣaya (On/Regarding)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उपरि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपसर्गसदृशं देशवाचक (postposition/adverb: 'upon/towards')

• परा: supreme
• परा: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषण; स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'भक्तिः' इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• भक्तिः: devotion
• भक्तिः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; षष्ठी, एकवचन

• जाता: has arisen / has been born
• जाता: Kriyā (Predicative)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √जन् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकाले क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (PPP); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'भक्तिः' इत्यस्य विधेयम्

• अद्य: today
• अद्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (today)

• केवलम्: only
• केवलम्: Avadhāraṇa (Restriction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: केवल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् क्रियाविशेषण/अवधारण (adverbial: 'only/merely')

Speaker

Unnamed king (addressing a brāhmaṇa as dvijottama)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śākalya (addressed as dvijottama)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A courtly speaker urges that the arriving brāhmaṇa be dispatched for a pacificatory rite; the speaker confesses a sudden, exclusive devotion toward him.

Characters & Entities

• dvijottama
• śānti
• bhakti

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion to the truly holy naturally arises, and dharmic leadership seeks śānti (harmonization) through proper religious means.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya; the exact tīrtha is not stated in this excerpt.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A śānti-purpose dispatch (preṣaṇa) is mentioned—sending a person for pacificatory religious action.