Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

तच्छ्रुत्वा सत्वरं गत्वा नृपं कार्पटिकोऽब्रवीत्

Transliteration

tacchrutvā satvaraṃ gatvā nṛpaṃ kārpaṭiko'bravīt

Translation

یہ سن کر کارپٹک فوراً گیا اور بادشاہ سے مخاطب ہوا۔

Word by Word

• तत्: that (news/statement)
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव

• सत्वरम्: quickly, in haste
• सत्वरम्: Sambandha (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: satvara (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव

• नृपम्: to the king (as object of approach/speech)
• नृपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• कार्पटिकः: the mendicant
• कार्पटिकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kārpaṭika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• अब्रवीत्: said
• अब्रवीत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator within Nāgarakhaṇḍa context; specific speaker not explicit in this excerpt)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The kārpaṭika strides urgently through palace corridors toward the king, staff in hand, attendants parting; urgency contrasts with the city’s earlier stillness.

Characters & Entities

• kārpaṭika
• nṛpa (king)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True guidance is timely; the saint does not delay when dharma and life are at stake.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not yet stated; the saint’s forthcoming counsel will point to the tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a narrative connector leading into the tīrtha instruction.