Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

तथा त्वमसि वाक्पाशाच्छिवभक्तिसमन्वितः । भूतले तिष्ठ दैत्येंद्र मा वाग्वैकल्प्यमाप्नुहि

Transliteration

tathā tvamasi vākpāśācchivabhaktisamanvitaḥ | bhūtale tiṣṭha daityeṃdra mā vāgvaikalpyamāpnuhi

Translation

وكذلك أنتَ مقيَّدٌ بحبلِ كلمتِك، ومُتَّصفٌ بتعبُّدٍ لِشِيفا. فاثبُتْ على ظهرِ الأرض، يا سيِّدَ الدَّيتيَات؛ ولا تقعْ في تردُّدِ القولِ ولا في تناقضِه.

Word by Word

• तथा: thus, so
• तथा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (indeclinable adverb: ‘thus/so’)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग/सामान्य; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (singular)

• असि: are
• असि: Kriyā (Predicate verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (अस् धातु)
• Form: लट् (present indicative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (singular); परस्मैपद

• वाक्पाशात्: from the noose of speech
• वाक्पाशात्: Apādāna (Source/Separation/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāk-pāśa (वाक् + पाश प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘वाचः पाशः’)

• शिवभक्तिसमन्वितः: endowed with devotion to Śiva
• शिवभक्तिसमन्वितः: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival complement/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śiva-bhakti-samanvita (शिव + भक्ति + समन्वित प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण; समासः तत्पुरुषः (‘शिवभक्त्या समन्वितः’)

• भूतले: on the ground
• भूतले: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhū-tala (भू + तल प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (‘भूते तलम्’)

• तिष्ठ: stand, remain
• तिष्ठ: Kriyā (Command/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sthā (स्था धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• दैत्येन्द्र: O lord of the Daityas
• दैत्येन्द्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daitya-indra (दैत्य + इन्द्र प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (‘दैत्यानाम् इन्द्रः’)

• मा: do not
• मा: Pratiṣedha (Prohibition marker/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: mā (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (prohibitive particle)

• वाग्वैकल्प्यम्: wavering/alternation of speech
• वाग्वैकल्प्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāk-vaikalpya (वाक् + वैकल्प्य प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (‘वाचः वैकल्प्यम्’)

• आप्नुहि: attain, incur
• आप्नुहि: Kriyā (Command/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: āp (आप् धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Brahmā (admonition; inferred)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A triad of deities (Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Hara) admonish the daitya-king: remain on earth, do not let speech waver; the ‘noose of word’ is shown as a subtle luminous cord around the asura’s chest/throat.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Daityendra (lord of Daityas)
• Vākpāśa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion must be supported by truthfulness; one should not break promises or become inconsistent in speech, even under pressure.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No explicit tīrtha is named; the focus is ethical and devotional rather than geographical.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it prescribes dhārmic discipline—steadfastness in one’s word and continued Śiva-bhakti.