Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । यदि चेत्तामसं कर्म त्यक्त्वा कर्मसु जायते । तदा ज्ञानमयो योगी जीवतां मोक्षदायकः

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | yadi cettāmasaṃ karma tyaktvā karmasu jāyate | tadā jñānamayo yogī jīvatāṃ mokṣadāyakaḥ

Translation

Īśvara sprach: Wenn einer tamasisches Tun aufgibt und dennoch in rechten Pflichten tätig bleibt, dann wird jener Yogin, ganz aus Erkenntnis, selbst im Leben zum Spender der Befreiung.

Word by Word

• ईश्वरः: Īśvara
• ईश्वरः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; Perfect, 3rd sg

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Condition marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्त-अव्यय (conditional particle)

• चेत्: if indeed
• चेत्: Sambandha (Condition marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चेत् (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्त/सम्भावना-अव्यय (if indeed)

• तामसम्: tamasic
• तामसम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तामस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular; adjective qualifying कर्म

• कर्म: action
• कर्म: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; Accusative singular

• त्यक्त्वा: having abandoned
• त्यक्त्वा: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: त्यज् (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive): having abandoned

• कर्मसु: in actions
• कर्मसु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), बहुवचन; Locative plural (in actions)

• जायते: is born / arises
• जायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; Present indicative, 3rd sg; आत्मनेपद

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: काल-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• ज्ञानमयः: filled with knowledge
• ज्ञानमयः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक) + मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular; तत्पुरुष (ज्ञानेन मयः/पूर्णः) qualifying योगी

• योगी: a yogin
• योगी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योगिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• जीवताम्: of living beings
• जीवताम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जीवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; Genitive plural (of living beings)

• मोक्षदायकः: giver of liberation
• मोक्षदायकः: Karta (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मोक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + दायक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular; तत्पुरुष (मोक्षं ददाति) qualifying योगी

Speaker

Īśvara (as explicitly stated)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Īśvara as teacher speaks to a seeker: one hand in instruction (vyākhyāna mudrā), the other indicating a path where dark, smoky ‘tamas’ is left behind and a bright road of dharmic action continues toward a luminous peak of knowledge.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara
• tāmasa karma
• yogin
• mokṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Renouncing tamasic conduct while performing purified duty transforms one into a knowledge-filled yogin oriented to liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

The instruction is delivered within the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra-māhātmya setting of Nāgara-khaṇḍa’s tīrtha narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A behavioral vow is implied: give up tāmasic actions and perform dhārmic karma with spiritual intent.