Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

तत्किं स्याद्वाक्यमात्रेण नो वा ब्राह्मणसत्तम । अत्र मे संशयस्तत्त्वं यथावद्वक्तुमर्हसि

Transliteration

tatkiṃ syādvākyamātreṇa no vā brāhmaṇasattama | atra me saṃśayastattvaṃ yathāvadvaktumarhasi

Translation

„Wirkt es allein durch das Wort, oder nicht, o Bester der Brāhmaṇas? Hier bin ich im Zweifel — lege die Wahrheit, wie sie ist, rechtmäßig dar.“

Word by Word

• tat: that (matter)
• tat: Vishaya (Topic/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• kim: what?
• kim: Vishaya (Topic/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक सर्वनाम (interrogative pronoun)

• syāt: would be / may be
• syāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• vākyamātreṇa: by mere words
• vākyamātreṇa: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vākyamātra (प्रातिपदिक: vākya + mātra)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; साधन/करणार्थे (instrumental: 'by/with')

• naḥ: of us / our
• naḥ: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन; अस्मद्-प्रयोग (genitive: 'of us/our')

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (disjunctive particle: 'or')

• brāhmaṇasattama: O best of Brahmins
• brāhmaṇasattama: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa-sattama (प्रातिपदिक: brāhmaṇa + sattama)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन; संबोधनपद (vocative address)

• atra: here
• atra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb: 'here/in this matter')

• me: my
• me: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; मम-आदेश (genitive: 'my')

• saṃśayaḥ: doubt
• saṃśayaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃśaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• tattvam: the truth / reality
• tattvam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tattva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• yathāvat: properly
• yathāvat: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathāvat (अव्यय)
• Form: रीतिवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: 'properly/as it should be')

• vaktum: to speak
• vaktum: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु) + tumun (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तुमुनन्त (infinitive), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable verbal)

• arhasi: you are fit / you should
• arhasi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: arh (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Bhīṣma

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mārkaṇḍeya (as the one requested to clarify)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A respectful inquirer, hands folded, addresses a venerable brāhmaṇa-sage in an āśrama or tīrtha-side assembly; the moment is suspended on the edge of a doctrinal clarification.

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Mārkaṇḍeya (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma requires discernment: one must ask whether moral consequence depends on speech, intent, or resulting harm.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None specified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it requests a doctrinal clarification.