Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 92

Devanagari script

तत्त्वया न कृतं भद्रं तेन कर्म वितन्वता । अप्रमाणं कृता वेदा यतश्च स्मृतयस्तथा

Transliteration

tattvayā na kṛtaṃ bhadraṃ tena karma vitanvatā | apramāṇaṃ kṛtā vedā yataśca smṛtayastathā

Translation

Indem du jene Handlung ausweitest, ist kein Heil bewirkt worden; denn dadurch sind die Veden—und ebenso die Smṛtis—gleichsam ihrer Autorität beraubt und unzuverlässig gemacht.

Word by Word

• तत्: that
• तत्: सम्बन्ध (Correlative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘तत् … तेन’ सम्बन्ध

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: कर्ता (Agent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: सम्बन्ध (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation)

• कृतम्: done/made
• कृतम्: क्रिया (Completed act/state)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘done/made’

• भद्रम्: good/benefit
• भद्रम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; कर्मरूपेण

• तेन: therefore/by that
• तेन: करण/हेतु (Cause/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• कर्म: action/rite
• कर्म: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• वितन्वता: while extending/spreading
• वितन्वता: कर्ता (Agent, participial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + तन् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कर्तरि कृदन्त (present active participle/शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; ‘(by you) while expanding/spreading’

• अप्रमाणम्: invalid/not authoritative
• अप्रमाणम्: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ (नञ्) + प्रमाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नञ्-तत्पुरुष (negative determinative), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (of वेदान्/वेदाः as object)

• कृताः: made/rendered
• कृताः: क्रिया (Result state)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग

• वेदाः: the Vedas
• वेदाः: कर्ता (Subject of कृताः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन

• यतः: wherefore/because
• यतः: हेतु (Cause)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बन्धबोधक-अव्यय (indeclinable relative adverb) अर्थः ‘because/from which reason’

• च: and
• च: सम्बन्ध (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)

• स्मृतयः: the Smṛtis/traditions
• स्मृतयः: कर्ता (Subject, coordinated)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्मृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन

• तथा: likewise/so too
• तथा: क्रियाविशेषण (Manner/Addition)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकार/समुच्चयवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: likewise/so)

Speaker

Brahmā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: The same 'surasattama' addressed in the prior verse

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā delivers a stern doctrinal warning: the Vedas and Smṛtis are shown as sacred manuscripts or radiant sound-symbols dimming or cracking as improper ritual spreads—an allegory of pramāṇa erosion—while the addressee stands chastened.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Śakra (Indra)
• Vedas
• Smṛtis
• Pramāṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma must align with śāstra; arbitrary innovation can undermine the perceived authority of Veda and Smṛti.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it serves the doctrinal core of the tīrtha narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An implicit warning: do not modify Śrāddha essentials in ways that contradict Vedic/Smṛti authority.