Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

नरके पतनं तस्य याव दिंद्राश्चतुर्दश । अतस्तु सर्वदा देयं नरैर्यत्तु प्रतिश्रुतम्

Transliteration

narake patanaṃ tasya yāva diṃdrāścaturdaśa | atastu sarvadā deyaṃ narairyattu pratiśrutam

Translation

Für ihn gibt es den Sturz in die Hölle, solange die vierzehn Indras währen. Darum soll der Mensch stets geben, was er versprochen hat.

Word by Word

• नरके: in hell
• नरके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: naraka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• पतनम्: falling, downfall
• पतनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: patana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक (Masc/Neut), षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• यावत्: for as long as
• यावत्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yāvat (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभावार्थ)
• Form: अवधि (duration: for as long as)

• इन्द्राः: Indras
• इन्द्राः: Pramana (Measure/प्रमाण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: indra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• चतुर्दश: fourteen
• चतुर्दश: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: caturdaśa (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्या (numeral), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचनार्थे (qualifying plural)

• अतः: therefore
• अतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: therefore/from this)

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• सर्वदा: always
• सर्वदा: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sarvadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• देयम्: should be given
• देयम्: Vidhi (Obligation/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √dā (धातु) + ṇyat (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृत्य (gerundive: to be given), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular)

• नरैः: by men
• नरैः: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• यत्: that which
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• प्रतिश्रुतम्: the promised (thing)
• प्रतिश्रुतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prati-√śru (धातु) + ta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle used substantively), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narrative style)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cautionary tableau: a man reneges on a promised gift; Yama’s messengers appear, with a contrasting scene of fulfilled promise leading to light and honor.

Characters & Entities

• Naraka
• Caturdaśa Indrāḥ (fourteen Indras)
• Pratiśruti
• Dāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Breaking a pledged gift is a grave adharma with severe consequences; one must honor one’s promise.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular site is named; the verse supports tīrtha-dharma by insisting on truthful, fulfilled giving.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Always give what has been promised (pratiśruta), rather than retracting or delaying it.