Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

एवं मे गुरुतां प्राप्तो मधुपो द्विजसत्तमाः । इषुकारो यथा जातस्तथा चैव ब्रवीमि वः

Transliteration

evaṃ me gurutāṃ prāpto madhupo dvijasattamāḥ | iṣukāro yathā jātastathā caiva bravīmi vaḥ

Translation

یوں، اے افضلِ دُو بار جنم لینے والو، میں نے گُروتوا کی گرانباری پائی—شہد کی مکھی کی مانند رس چننے والا بن کر۔ اور جیسے تیر بنانے والا (اِشُکار) ہنرمند ہوا، ویسے ہی میں تم سے یہ اصول بیان کرتا ہوں۔

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of manner)

• मे: of me / my
• मे: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• गुरुताम्: heaviness/weight
• गुरुताम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरुता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• प्राप्तः: having attained / attained
• प्राप्तः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप्त (प्रातिपदिक; √आप्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle)

• मधुपः: bee
• मधुपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मधुप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• द्विजसत्तमाः: O best of the twice-born
• द्विजसत्तमाः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (द्विजानां सत्तमाः)

• इषुकारः: arrow-maker
• इषुकारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इषुकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (इषूणां कारः/कर्ता)

• यथा: as
• यथा: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमान/प्रकारवाचक (as/just as)

• जातः: was born / arose
• जातः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जात (प्रातिपदिक; √जन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त

• तथा: so
• तथा: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (so/in that manner)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle)

• ब्रवीमि: I tell
• ब्रवीमि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person), एकवचन

• वः: to you / of you
• वः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी/षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Dat./Gen.), बहुवचन

Speaker

Unspecified first-person narrator addressing dvijas

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvija-sattamāḥ (addressed brāhmaṇas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A wandering seeker addresses assembled brāhmaṇas; beside him symbolic vignettes: a honey-bee sipping from many flowers and a fletcher shaping arrows with unwavering focus.

Characters & Entities

• madhupa
• iṣukāra
• dvija

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual mastery is gained through focused practice and discerning essence—like a bee gathering nectar and a fletcher perfecting skill through concentration.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it continues the didactic portion of the Māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the stress is on disciplined attention, discernment, and the cultivation of competence in dharma/knowledge.