Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 80

Devanagari script

तावद्द्वितीयं गो कर्णं दूत आदाय संगतः । दर्शयामास धृत्वाग्रे धर्मराजस्य सत्वरम्

Transliteration

tāvaddvitīyaṃ go karṇaṃ dūta ādāya saṃgataḥ | darśayāmāsa dhṛtvāgre dharmarājasya satvaram

Translation

就在那时，使者到来，带着第二位“戈迦耳那”，迅速将他呈至达摩罗阇面前。

Word by Word

• तावत्: then, meanwhile
• तावत्: Kriya-viseshana (Temporal/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: परिमाण/कालवाचक-अव्यय (until then/so long)

• द्वितीयम्: second
• द्वितीयम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वितीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (सन्दर्भानुसार), द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘गोकर्णम्’ विशेषण

• गो: cow
• गो: Samasa-anga (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक-पूर्वपद (समासाङ्ग)

• कर्णम्: ear; (name) Gokarṇa
• कर्णम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘गो’ इत्यनेन सह ‘गोकर्णम्’ नाम

• दूतः: the messenger
• दूतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आदाय: having taken
• आदाय: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√दा (धातु) (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (Gerund), ‘having taken’

• संगतः: arrived, came together
• संगतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-√गम् (धातु) (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• दर्शयामास: showed
• दर्शयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) (णिच्)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Periphrastic perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; causative (णिच्) ‘caused to see/showed’

• धृत्वा: having held
• धृत्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √धृ (धातु) (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (Gerund), ‘having held’

• अग्रे: in front
• अग्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-एकवचन-रूपेण अव्ययीभूत (locative used adverbially)

• धर्मराजस्य: of Dharmarāja
• धर्मराजस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्मराज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः धर्म + राज

• सत्वरम्: quickly, hastily
• सत्वरम्: Kriya-viseshana (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सत्वरम् (अव्यय)
• Form: रीतिवाचक-अव्यय (manner adverb)

Speaker

Sūta (continued narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gokarṇa (as a named brāhmaṇa here; also echoes the famed tīrtha-name)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A swift dūta arrives, leading or bearing the ‘second Gokarṇa’, and presents him before Dharmarāja with urgency.

Characters & Entities

• Dharmarāja (Yama)
• Gokarṇa
• Dūta (messenger)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The narrative frames karmic adjudication under Dharmarāja, emphasizing accountability and the consequences of timing and duty.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this verse; it continues the storyline embedded within the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a narrative description of being presented before Dharmarāja.