Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

त्वं गुरुर्मां च रक्षस्व पुनर्नरकमज्जनात् । येन ज्ञातमिदं ज्ञानं त्वत्प्रसादादखंडितम्

Transliteration

tvaṃ gururmāṃ ca rakṣasva punarnarakamajjanāt | yena jñātamidaṃ jñānaṃ tvatprasādādakhaṃḍitam

Translation

Du bist mein Guru—beschütze mich erneut davor, in die Hölle hinabzusinken. Durch deine Gnade wurde dieses ungebrochene, ganze Wissen erkannt; möge es nicht verlorengehen.

Word by Word

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• गुरुः: teacher, guru
• गुरुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक

• रक्षस्व: protect
• रक्षस्व: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √रक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (again)

• नरकमज्जनात्: from sinking into hell
• नरकमज्जनात्: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक + मज्जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (नरके मज्जनम्)

• येन: by which
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम

• ज्ञातम्: known, realized
• ज्ञातम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रियाविशेष्य)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्ञात (कृदन्त; √ज्ञा धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• ज्ञानम्: knowledge
• ज्ञानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• त्वत्प्रसादात्: from your grace
• त्वत्प्रसादात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वत् + प्रसाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (त्वत्-प्रसादः = your grace)

• अखण्डितम्: unbroken, undiminished
• अखण्डितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अखण्डित (कृदन्त; √खण्ड् धातु, नञ्-पूर्वक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; विशेषणम्

Speaker

A mumukṣu (seeker of liberation) addressing his guru/deity (contextual; exact named speaker not explicit in the verse snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devādhideva (Śiva)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A supplicant devotee addresses Śiva as Guru, pleading for protection from falling into hell again, while acknowledging that integral knowledge arose by divine grace.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Liberating knowledge is sustained by humility and reliance on the guru’s grace; one prays for protection from spiritual downfall.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya frame; the immediate snippet praises jñāna and guru-grace more than naming a single tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed here; it is a devotional supplication centered on preserving realized knowledge.