Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

तस्मात्तस्य पुरो नीत्वा बालोऽयं क्षीणजीवितः । क्रियतां तस्य वाक्येन यथा स्याच्चिरजीवभाक्

Transliteration

tasmāttasya puro nītvā bālo'yaṃ kṣīṇajīvitaḥ | kriyatāṃ tasya vākyena yathā syāccirajīvabhāk

Translation

Darum führt diesen Knaben, dessen Lebensspanne schwindet, vor ihn hin; und handelt nach seinem Wort, damit das Kind Anteil an langem Leben erlange.

Word by Word

• tasmāt: therefore
• tasmāt: Hetu (Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tasmāt (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक tad)
• Form: तस्मात् इति अव्ययीभूत-तृतीया/पञ्चमी-रूपम्; हेत्वर्थे अव्ययवत् (therefore/from that reason)

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; तस्य = of him

• puraḥ: in front (of)
• puraḥ: Adhikarana (Place/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: puras (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable), उपसर्गार्थक-अव्ययम्; पुरः = in front/before

• nītvā: having brought
• nītvā: Kriya-viseshana (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √nī (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund); नीत्वा = having led/brought

• bālaḥ: the boy
• bālaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; बालः = the boy

• ayam: this
• ayam: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; अयम् = this

• kṣīṇajīvitaḥ: with life ebbing away
• kṣīṇajīvitaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṣīṇa + jīvita (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्षीण-जीवितः = whose life is waning (adjective of bālaḥ)

• kriyatām: let (it) be done
• kriyatām: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; क्रियताम् = let it be done

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; तस्य = of him

• vākyena: by (his) command
• vākyena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vākya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; वाक्येन = by (his) word/command

• yathā: so that
• yathā: Sambandha (Clause linker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, सम्बन्ध/उपमानार्थक (conjunction: so that/as)

• syāt: may become
• syāt: Kriya (Subordinate verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; स्यात् = may become

• cirajīvabhāk: a long-lived one
• cirajīvabhāk: Karta-predicative (Predicate adjective/विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: cira + jīva + bhāj (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्ताधार)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; चिर-जीव-भाक् = चिरं जीवितं भजते इति (one who partakes of long life)

Speaker

Sages (collective resolution, as reported by the narrator)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sages gently lift and escort a frail brahmacārin boy, his vitality fading; their faces show resolve as they prepare to bring him before Brahmā.

Characters & Entities

• Pitāmaha (Brahmā)
• brahmacārin (boy)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Right action includes seeking guidance from the highest authority when life and dharma are at stake; divine instruction is framed as transformative.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The focus is Brahmā’s presence (Brahmaloka) rather than a named earthly tīrtha in this specific verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

To bring the boy before Brahmā and act according to Brahmā’s directive; the exact rite is not specified here.