Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

स याति नरकं घोरं त्यज्यते च गुणैर्द्रुतम् । तस्मादाज्ञापय क्षिप्रं मां मुने स्वगृहाय भोः

Transliteration

sa yāti narakaṃ ghoraṃ tyajyate ca guṇairdrutam | tasmādājñāpaya kṣipraṃ māṃ mune svagṛhāya bhoḥ

Translation

من يفعل ذلك يهوي إلى جحيمٍ مهول، وتفارقه الفضيلة سريعًا. فلذلك، أيها المُني، مُرْ حالًا أن أُقاد إلى دارك.

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nom./1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• याति: goes
• याति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद (Parasmaipada), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• नरकम्: to hell
• नरकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Acc./2nd), एकवचन

• घोरम्: terrible
• घोरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Acc./2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण to नरकम्

• त्यज्यते: is abandoned/rejected
• त्यज्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

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

• गुणैः: by virtues/qualities
• गुणैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन

• द्रुतम्: quickly
• द्रुतम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: द्रुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverbial use of neuter accusative)

• तस्मात्: therefore/from that
• तस्मात्: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी (Ablative/5th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• आज्ञापय: command/order
• आज्ञापय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन

• क्षिप्रम्: quickly
• क्षिप्रम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्षिप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (Acc./2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• मुने: O sage
• मुने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• स्वगृहाय: to (your) own house
• स्वगृहाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व + गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (Dative/4th), एकवचन; स्व=आत्मीय (one's own)

• भोः: O! (vocative particle)
• भोः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भोः (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बोधन-निपात (vocative particle)

Speaker

Viśvāmitra (contextual, addressing Vasiṣṭha)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king, anxious, speaks of dreadful hell and the slipping away of virtue, imploring the sage to allow entry and hospitality for himself and his men.

Characters & Entities

• Viśvāmitra
• Vasiṣṭha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Neglect of dharma leads to the loss of virtue and grave karmic consequences; prompt right action is urged.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse sits within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya frame, but this specific line emphasizes dharma in a narrative episode rather than naming a distinct tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed here; it is a moral injunction to act promptly and rightly.