Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

ततः स ववृधे बालो लालितस्तेन भूभुजा । मूकभावं समापन्नो न शक्रोति प्रजल्पितुम्

Transliteration

tataḥ sa vavṛdhe bālo lālitastena bhūbhujā | mūkabhāvaṃ samāpanno na śakroti prajalpitum

Translation

其后，那孩子在国王的怜爱抚育下渐渐长大；然而他陷入缄默之相，竟全然不能言语。

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, काल/क्रमवाचक (adverb of sequence)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• ववृधे: grew
• ववृधे: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वृध् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• बालः: boy, child
• बालः: Karta (Appositional subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सः इत्यस्य विशेष्य (apposition)

• लालितः: caressed, nurtured
• लालितः: Karta-anvaya (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √लल्/√लाल् (धातु) → लालित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• तेन: by him
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/तृतीया), एकवचन

• भूभुजा: by the king (earth-enjoyer)
• भूभुजा: Karana (Agent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूभुज् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; ‘तेन’ इत्यस्य विशेषण (apposition)

• मूकभावम्: state of muteness
• मूकभावम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूक+भाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास: मूकस्य भावः; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• समापन्नः: having fallen into, having attained
• समापन्नः: Karta-anvaya (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्+आ+√पद् (धातु) → समापन्न (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (of ‘सः/बालः’)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• शक्रोति: is able
• शक्रोति: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √शक् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• प्रजल्पितुम्: to speak, to utter
• प्रजल्पितुम्: Karma (Object of ability)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्र+√जल्प् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (Infinitive), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable infinitive)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator within Nāgarakhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The prince grows amid royal affection, yet remains silent; attendants and the king show concern as the child cannot speak.

Characters & Entities

• king
• the boy (prince)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly power and royal care cannot remove certain karmic afflictions; higher sacred remedies (tīrtha, dharma) are implied as the true refuge.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse sets the narrative context; the specific glorified site is introduced shortly after as Sārasvata Tīrtha in Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it describes the prince’s condition (muteness).