Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

ततस्तेन प्रतिज्ञातमविकल्पेन चेतसा । एवं तेऽहं करिष्यामि परं मे वचनं शृणु

Transliteration

tatastena pratijñātamavikalpena cetasā | evaṃ te'haṃ kariṣyāmi paraṃ me vacanaṃ śṛṇu

Translation

Daraufhin versprach er mit unbeirrtem Sinn: „So werde ich es für dich tun. Nun höre mein weiteres Wort.“

Word by Word

• tataḥ: thereafter
• tataḥ: Adhikarana (Context/Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) = indeclinable adverb; अर्थे: तस्मात्/अनन्तरम् (thereafter)

• tena: by him/with that
• tena: Karana (Instrument/Agent in passive sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• pratijñātam: was promised
• pratijñātam: Karma (Object/Predicate complement)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prati-√jñā (धातु) + kta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘प्रतिज्ञातम्’ = promised

• avikalpena: with unwavering (resolve)
• avikalpena: Karana (Instrument)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-vikalpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• cetasā: with mind
• cetasā: Karana (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cetas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• evam: thus
• evam: Kriya-vishesana (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (रीतिवाचक/प्रकारवाचक) = indeclinable adverb

• te: to you/for you
• te: Sampradana (Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया/चतुर्थी, एकवचन (enclitic); सर्वनाम

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• kariṣyāmi: I will do
• kariṣyāmi: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (simple future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• param: supreme/important
• param: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषण

• me: my
• me: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (enclitic)

• vacanam: word/speech
• vacanam: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vacana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• śṛṇu: listen
• śṛṇu: Kriya (Command)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śru (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Narrator (deductive: Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa); the pledged speaker within the narrative is the addressed being/party in context (not fully explicit in this excerpt).

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: An addressed party (‘te’) within the narrative

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A solemn moment of promise: a powerful being, mind unwavering, addresses a devotee/assembly, announcing a further command; divine presence implied.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Steadfast resolve and keeping one’s pledged word are central to dharma, even amid fearsome circumstances.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse remains within the Tīrtha-māhātmya setting, but the specific site is not stated in this excerpt.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed; the verse highlights a vow/promise and continuation of instruction.