Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

एतन्महाव्रतं रूपमाख्यातं ते त्रिलोचन । नैवं च मखकर्म स्यात्तत्रैव च न युज्यते

Transliteration

etanmahāvrataṃ rūpamākhyātaṃ te trilocana | naivaṃ ca makhakarma syāttatraiva ca na yujyate

Translation

يا ذا العيون الثلاث (تريلوتشانا)، لقد أعلنتَ صورة «المهافْرَتا». غير أنّ إجراء القربان (اليَجْنَ) لا يمضي على هذا النحو؛ فذلك غير لائق ضمن نظام اليَجْنَ المقرَّر.

Word by Word

• etat: this
• etat: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; निर्देश ("this")

• mahā-vratam: great vow
• mahā-vratam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + vrata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः—महच्च तत् व्रतम्

• rūpam: form
• rūpam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• ākhyātam: has been declared
• ākhyātam: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ākhyāta (कृदन्त; ā-√khyā कथने/प्रख्याने)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि—"has been declared"

• te: to you
• te: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी (4th), एकवचन (dat. sg.)

• trilocana: O three-eyed one
• trilocana: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tri (संख्या) + locana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (Voc.), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—त्रीणि लोचनानि यस्य (epithet of Śiva)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध

• evam: thus
• evam: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (thus)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• makha-karmā: sacrificial act
• makha-karmā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: makha (प्रातिपदिक) + karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; मखस्य कर्म (gen.-tatpuruṣa)

• syāt: would be / should be
• syāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (धातु; अस्तित्वे)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (there)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध

• yujyate: is appropriate, fits
• yujyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √yuj (धातु; योजने)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः ("is fitting/appropriate")

Speaker

Brahmā (continuing from prior verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śiva (Trilocana)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā respectfully questions the Three-eyed Lord: the Mahāvrata form has been revealed, yet it seems not to fit within the sacrificial procedure; the scene carries thoughtful tension amid the ritual setting.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Śiva (Trilocana)
• Mahāvrata
• Makha (yajña)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even exalted vows and powerful forms must be applied in the right context; dharma is contextual appropriateness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not named in this verse; it serves the chapter’s tīrtha-māhātmya by clarifying correct religious conduct around sacred acts.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A caution: the yajña’s procedure (makha-karma) should not be altered into an unfitting mode, even for a vowed form.