Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

तन्न युक्तं भवेदीदृगस्माकं वचनं द्विजाः । तस्मात्तत्क्रियतां कर्म येनायं स्याच्चिरायुधृक्

Transliteration

tanna yuktaṃ bhavedīdṛgasmākaṃ vacanaṃ dvijāḥ | tasmāttatkriyatāṃ karma yenāyaṃ syāccirāyudhṛk

Translation

يا ذوي الولادتين، لا يليق أن تؤول كلماتنا إلى مثل هذا. فليُنجَز عملٌ يَكون به هذا الغلام ذا عمرٍ مديد وحياةٍ طويلة.

Word by Word

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karman/Viṣaya (Topic/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; वाक्यविषय (topic)

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• युक्तम्: proper/appropriate
• युक्तम्: Karta-pradhāna-viśeṣaṇa (Predicate qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युक्त (प्रातिपदिक; √युज् क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle used adjectivally); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेयविशेषण

• भवेत्: would be
• भवेत्: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ईदृक्: such (of this kind)
• ईदृक्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ईदृश्/ईदृक् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत्/प्रातिपदिक; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier of वचनम्)

• अस्माकम्: of us/our
• अस्माकम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन (plural stem meaning “of us”)

• वचनम्: statement/word
• वचनम्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• द्विजाः: O twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विजाः: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (Vocative), बहुवचन

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu/Anvaya (Inference marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तस्मात् (तद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत्; हेत्वर्थक/तस्मादर्थे (therefore; ablative used adverbially)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karman (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• क्रियताम्: let (it) be done
• क्रियताम्: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive): “let it be done”

• कर्म: a rite/action
• कर्म: Karman (Object/complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय/आज्ञाविषय (thing to be done)

• येन: by which
• येन: Karaṇa (Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; साधनार्थ (instrumental of means)

• अयम्: this one
• अयम्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• स्यात्: may be/become
• स्यात्: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• चिरायुधृक्: long-lived (lit. long holding life/arms)
• चिरायुधृक्: Karta-pradhāna-viśeṣaṇa (Predicate qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चिर-आयुध-धृक् (प्रातिपदिक; चिर + आयुध + धृक्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विधेयविशेषण (predicative)

Speaker

Vasiṣṭha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The sages confer with resolve; Vasiṣṭha urges a specific act to ensure the boy’s long life, transforming grief into purposeful ritual intent.

Characters & Entities

• Vasiṣṭha
• dvija (twice-born sages/brāhmaṇas)
• brahmacārin (boy)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is responsibility: the wise do not remain passive when harm is foreseen; they seek rightful means to protect life and uphold the integrity of their speech.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse does not name a tīrtha; it frames the need for a remedial ‘karma’ within the larger tīrthamāhātmya context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A general prescription is given—‘perform an act/rite (karma) so he becomes long-lived’—without detailing the specific rite in this line.