Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

ममास्ति नापरः शिष्यस्तस्मादेनं करोम्यहम् । ततोऽब्रवीत्करे गृह्य यद्येवं वत्स मे समम् । समयं कुरु येन त्वां दीक्षयाम्यद्य चैव हि

Transliteration

mamāsti nāparaḥ śiṣyastasmādenaṃ karomyaham | tato'bravītkare gṛhya yadyevaṃ vatsa me samam | samayaṃ kuru yena tvāṃ dīkṣayāmyadya caiva hi

Translation

„Ich habe keinen anderen Schüler; deshalb werde ich ihn annehmen.“ Dann nahm er ihn bei der Hand und sagte: „Wenn dem so ist, mein Kind, stimme der Einhaltung zu, damit ich dich noch heute einweihen kann.“

Word by Word

• mama: of me; my
• mama: Sambandha (Possessor/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• asti: there is
• asti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• aparaḥ: another
• aparaḥ: Karta (Predicate/प्रत्यय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: apara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण

• śiṣyaḥ: disciple
• śiṣyaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiṣya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• tasmāt: therefore
• tasmāt: Hetu (Cause)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात्-इति पञ्चमी-रूपेण हेत्वर्थे (ablative used adverbially: therefore)

• enam: this one; him
• enam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam/enad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• karomi: I make
• karomi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (Singular)

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Sambandha (Sequence)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रमवाचक-अव्यय (thereupon)

• abravīt: he said
• abravīt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: brū (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• kare: in the hand
• kare: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• gṛhya: having taken; holding
• gṛhya: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: grah (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय-भाव (Gerund: having taken/holding)

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

• evam: thus
• evam: Prakara (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of manner)

• vatsa: O child; dear one
• vatsa: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vatsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• me: my
• me: Sambandha (Possessor/षष्ठī)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-एकवचन (Genitive/Dative Singular) एन्क्लिटिक; अत्र षष्ठी (my)

• samam: equally; on a par
• samam: Prakara (Manner)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण (as adverb: equally)

• samayam: agreement; vow; condition
• samayam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: samaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• kuru: make
• kuru: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• yena: by which (so that)
• yena: Karana (Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular); सम्बन्धक (relative)

• tvām: you
• tvām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• dīkṣayāmi: I will initiate (I initiate)
• dīkṣayāmi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dīkṣ (धातु; causative sense)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (Singular); णिच्-प्रयोग (causative: to initiate)

• adya: today
• adya: Kala-adhikarana (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: adya (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle)

• hi: indeed; for
• hi: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतौ/अवधारणे निपात (particle: indeed/for)

Speaker

The ascetic brāhmaṇa (guru/ācārya figure) addressing Duḥśīla

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Trisaṅgama

Type: sangam

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The ascetic guru gently grasps the aspirant’s hand (hastagrahaṇa), speaking kindly yet firmly about the required observance; nearby are a staff, waterpot, and the simple monastery structure; the confluence glimmers in the distance.

Characters & Entities

• Duḥśīla

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Initiation is tied to commitment: the disciple must accept a binding discipline (samaya) before receiving dīkṣā.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse belongs to a tīrtha-māhātmya chapter in the Nāgarakhaṇḍa; the immediate emphasis is on initiation protocol rather than a named site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The guru requires the disciple to undertake a samaya (vow/observance) as the formal prerequisite for receiving dīkṣā.