Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 21
Devanagari script
अपश्चिममिदं पुत्र मातृसंदिष्टमुत्तमम् । त्वया कार्यं प्रयत्नेन मद्वाक्यमनुतिष्ठता
Transliteration
apaścimamidaṃ putra mātṛsaṃdiṣṭamuttamam | tvayā kāryaṃ prayatnena madvākyamanutiṣṭhatā
Translation
Mein Sohn, dies ist meine letzte und vortreffliche Weisung. Befolge meine Worte mit Anstrengung und standhafter, treuer Gefolgschaft.
Word by Word
apaścimamnot inferior/unsurpassed
apaścimam:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootapaścima (अपश्चिम प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा, एकवचन; अत्र ‘इदम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्
idamthis
idam:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootidam (इदम् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन
putraO son
putra:
Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
TypeNoun
Rootputra (पुत्र प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन
mātṛ-saṃdiṣṭaminstructed by (your) mother
mātṛ-saṃdiṣṭam:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootmātṛ (मातृ) + saṃdiṣṭa (संदिष्ट; √diś (दिश्) with sam उपसर्ग, क्त)
Formकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (मात्रा संदिष्टम्)
uttamamexcellent
uttamam:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootuttama (उत्तम प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन
tvayāby you
tvayā:
Kartr (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootyusmad (युष्मद्)
Formतृतीया, एकवचन
kāryammust be done
kāryam:
Kriya (Obligation predicate/क्रिया)
TypeAdjective
Root√kṛ (कृ धातु)
Formकृदन्त (यत्/तव्यत्-अर्थे ‘कार्य’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय (to be done)
prayatnenawith effort
prayatnena:
Karana (Instrument/means/करण)
TypeNoun
Rootprayatna (प्रयत्न प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन
mat-vākyammy words
mat-vākyam:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootmad (मद् = मम-सम्बद्ध सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + vākya (वाक्य प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (मम वाक्यम्)
anutiṣṭhatāwhile practicing/observing
anutiṣṭhatā:
Sambandha (Concomitant action/सम्बन्ध)
TypeAdjective
Rootanu-√sthā (स्था धातु)
Formकृदन्त (शतृ/वर्तमानकृदन्त), तृतीया, एकवचन; ‘त्वया’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम् (while observing)
Speaker
Nandinī
Visual Art Cues
Scene: A mother gives her final counsel, raising a hand in gentle instruction; the son bows, receiving the command with solemn focus; atmosphere of farewell.
Characters & Entities
N
NandinīV
VatsaFAQs
The mother’s command is treated as dharmic authority; sincere effort in following it is presented as a path of righteousness.
No specific site is mentioned in this verse.
No formal ritual; the ‘prescription’ is disciplined adherence to mātṛ-vākya (the mother’s instruction).