Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 56

Devanagari script

उपाव्रज्य च हा कष्टं ब्रुवंस्तं नंदभद्रकम् । दधिकर्ण इवासाद्य नंदभद्रमुवाच सः

Transliteration

upāvrajya ca hā kaṣṭaṃ bruvaṃstaṃ naṃdabhadrakam | dadhikarṇa ivāsādya naṃdabhadramuvāca saḥ

Translation

جب وہ “ہائے، کیسا غم!” کہتے ہوئے اُس کے پاس آیا تو وہ شخص—گویا ددھیکرن کی مانند—نندبھدر کے قریب پہنچ کر اُس سے مخاطب ہوا۔

Word by Word

• upāvrajya: having approached
• upāvrajya: Pūrvakāla (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: upa-√vraj (व्रज्)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (Gerund) — उपसर्ग upa-; ‘having approached’

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय)

• hā: alas!
• hā: Bhāva (Exclamation/उद्गार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (शोक-उद्गार)

• kaṣṭam: misfortune/woe
• kaṣṭam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kaṣṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — उद्गार-रूपेण

• bruvan: saying
• bruvan: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √brū (ब्रू)
• Form: वर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ/शानच्), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — ‘saying’

• tam: him
• tam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• naṃdabhadrakam: Nandabhadraka
• naṃdabhadrakam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: naṃdabhadraka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — व्यक्तिनाम

• dadhikarṇaḥ: Dadhikarṇa
• dadhikarṇaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dadhikarṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — व्यक्तिनाम

• iva: like/as
• iva: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Comparative particle/उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उपमा-वाचक)

• āsādya: having met
• āsādya: Pūrvakāla (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√sad (सद्)
• Form: ल्यप्/क्त्वा-समकक्ष अव्यय (Gerund) — ‘having met/approached’

• naṃdabhadram: Nandabhadra
• naṃdabhadram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: naṃdabhadra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — व्यक्तिनाम

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (वच्)
• Form: लिट् (परिपूर्णभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stranger/associate steps close to the grieving Nandabhadra, hand raised as if to speak; the comparison to Dadhikarṇa suggests a recognizable ‘approacher’ archetype—smooth, timely, and persuasive.

Characters & Entities

• Nandabhadra
• Dadhikarṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Moments of grief attract persuasive voices; discernment is needed before accepting counsel.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No holy site is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it sets up a spoken exchange about dharma.