Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

तथा देयो वरो मह्यं भवद्भिर्यदि स्वर्गपाः । तदेषा शूलिकाऽस्माकं स्पर्शाद्भूयात्सुधर्मदा

Transliteration

tathā deyo varo mahyaṃ bhavadbhiryadi svargapāḥ | tadeṣā śūlikā'smākaṃ sparśādbhūyātsudharmadā

Translation

اے نگہبانانِ سُوَرگ! اگر تم واقعی مجھے ور عطا کرو، تو یہ شُولِکا محض چھونے سے لوگوں کے لیے سُدھرمہ بخشنے والی بن جائے۔

Word by Word

• तथा: thus, in that manner
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/रीति-वाचक (adverb of manner)

• देयः: to be given, grantable
• देयः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dā (दा-धातु) + ya (प्रत्यय) → deya (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त (भाव्य/योग्यतार्थे); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (predicative)

• वरः: a boon
• वरः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• मह्यम्: to me
• मह्यम्: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (अस्मद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; चतुर्थी (4th), एकवचन

• भवद्भिः: by you (honorific), by you all
• भवद्भिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhavat (भवत्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम/सत्कारार्थ-शब्द; तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Clause marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्त/सम्भावना-वाचक (conditional particle)

• स्वर्गपाः: O guardians of heaven
• स्वर्गपाः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svarga-pā (स्वर्ग + पा [प्रातिपदिक])
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी/उपपद-समासार्थः: स्वर्गस्य पाः); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• तत्: then, therefore
• तत्: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (तद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; तस्मात्/तर्हि-अर्थे (then/therefore)

• एषा: this (she/this one)
• एषा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (एतद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• शूलिका: the stake/impaling spike (śūlikā)
• शूलिका: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śūlikā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• अस्माकम्: of us, our
• अस्माकम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (अस्मद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• स्पर्शात्: from (its) touch, by touching
• स्पर्शात्: Apadana (Source/Cause/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sparśa (स्पर्श-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; हेतौ/अपादाने (ablative of cause/from)

• भूयात्: may it become
• भूयात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (भू-धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• सुधर्मदा: giver of good dharma/virtue
• सुधर्मदा: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su-dharma-dā (सु + धर्म + दा [प्रातिपदिक])
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कर्मधारय/उपपदभावः: सुधर्मं ददाति इति); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (of śūlikā)

Speaker

Māṇḍavya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage petitions the devas for a boon: a śūlikā (stake/pillar) at a sacred spot should become dharma-bestowing by mere touch; devas appear in the sky, attentive and radiant.

Characters & Entities

• Māṇḍavya
• Devas (Svargapāḥ)
• Śūlikā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Through divine sanction, even a simple object can become a vehicle of dharma—showing how sacred power is localized in tīrtha contexts.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The local Nāgara-khaṇḍa kṣetra is implied, where the śūlikā becomes a sanctified feature connected to the tīrtha’s merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A prescribed act of sparśa (touch) of the śūlikā, framed as a boon-bestowed means to promote/restore dharma.