Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 103

Devanagari script

तत्कथं योजयामि त्वां वेदपाठेन स द्विज

Transliteration

tatkathaṃ yojayāmi tvāṃ vedapāṭhena sa dvija

Translation

“তেন্তে, হে দ্বিজ! মই তোমাক বেদ-পাঠত কেনেকৈ নিয়োজিত কৰিম?”

Word by Word

• तत्: then, therefore
• तत्: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् नपुंसक-प्रयोगः (sentence connector) = 'then/therefore'

• कथम्: how?
• कथम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: katham (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (प्रश्न-क्रियाविशेषण) = interrogative adverb 'how?'

• योजयामि: do I engage/assign
• योजयामि: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: yuj (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; causative sense in usage 'I can engage/appoint'

• त्वाम्: you
• त्वाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• वेदपाठेन: by/with Vedic recitation
• वेदपाठेन: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: veda (प्रातिपदिक) + pāṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: 'वेदस्य पाठः'

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; 'he' (referring to speaker/Āditya)

• द्विज: O twice-born
• द्विज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

Speaker

Āditya/Sūrya

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yājñavalkya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Āditya, thoughtful, gestures toward the moving chariot-wheel as he asks how he can appoint the sage to Vedic recitation while perpetually traveling.

Characters & Entities

• Āditya (Sūrya)
• Dvija (Yājñavalkya)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True teaching requires practical means; even a divine boon must be fulfilled in a way consistent with duty and circumstance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is named; the verse continues the dialogue within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a conversational bridge toward the method by which Vedic learning will be transmitted.