Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

तस्मादहं त्यजिष्यामि नियोगं ते पितामह । ब्रह्मशापभया द्भीतः सत्यमेतन्मयोदितम्

Transliteration

tasmādahaṃ tyajiṣyāmi niyogaṃ te pitāmaha | brahmaśāpabhayā dbhītaḥ satyametanmayoditam

Translation

Darum, o Pitāmaha, werde ich den Auftrag, den du mir anvertraut hast, niederlegen—aus Furcht vor Brahmās Fluch. Was ich spreche, ist Wahrheit.

Word by Word

• tasmāt: therefore/from that
• tasmāt: Hetu/Apādāna (हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन (Singular)

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन

• tyajiṣyāmi: will abandon
• tyajiṣyāmi: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √tyaj (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• niyogam: commission/assignment
• niyogam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: niyoga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन

• te: your
• te: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• pitāmaha: O Grandfather (Brahmā)
• pitāmaha: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitāmaha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• brahma-śāpa-bhayāt: from fear of Brahmā’s curse
• brahma-śāpa-bhayāt: Hetu/Apādāna (हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक) + śāpa (प्रातिपदिक) + bhaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन; ‘ब्रह्मणः शापस्य भयम्’ (fear of Brahmā’s curse)

• bhītaḥ: afraid
• bhītaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhī (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘भीतः’ = frightened

• satyam: truth
• satyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: satya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; वाक्यकर्म (object of saying)

• etat: this
• etat: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; ‘satyam’ इत्यस्य विशेषणवत् (appositional)

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन

• uditam: spoken
• uditam: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ud√i (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘उदितम्’ = spoken/uttered

Speaker

Yama (Dharmarāja)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brahmā (Pitāmaha)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Yama, visibly distressed, declares he will abandon his commission; his staff/insignia is shown slipping or set aside; Brahmā raises a calming hand; sages look alarmed, symbolizing cosmic disorder if Yama resigns.

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Brahmā (Pitāmaha)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Positions of authority must be held with accountability; when dharma becomes conflicted, one seeks correction rather than acting arrogantly.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it concerns divine administration (niyoga) and the moral force of śāpa.