Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

राजोवाच । त्यक्ष्यामि यदि नामैतां धारयिष्यामि वा गृहे । अन्यदेहोद्भवं कर्म फलिष्यति तथापि मे

Transliteration

rājovāca | tyakṣyāmi yadi nāmaitāṃ dhārayiṣyāmi vā gṛhe | anyadehodbhavaṃ karma phaliṣyati tathāpi me

Translation

Der König sprach: „Ob ich sie verlasse oder sie in meinem Hause behalte—das Karma, das aus einem anderen Körper (aus einem früheren Leben) stammt, wird dennoch für mich Frucht tragen.“

Word by Word

• rājā: the king
• rājā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (वच्)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• tyakṣyāmi: I will abandon
• tyakṣyāmi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √tyaj (त्यज्)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन

• yadi: if
• yadi: Sambandha (Condition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तबोधक-अव्यय (conditional particle)

• nāma: indeed
• nāma: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāma (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/निश्चय/अनुनयार्थक-निपात (emphatic particle: indeed/forsooth)

• etām: this (her)
• etām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• dhārayiṣyāmi: I will keep (her)
• dhārayiṣyāmi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dhṛ (धृ) णिच् (causative)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन; णिजन्त—‘I will keep/maintain’

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (Alternative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पबोधक-अव्यय (disjunctive particle: or)

• gṛhe: in the house
• gṛhe: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gṛha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• anya-deha-udbhavam: arising in another body (next life)
• anya-deha-udbhavam: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक) + deha (प्रातिपदिक) + udbhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष—‘अन्यस्मिन् देहे उद्भवम्’ (arising in another body)

• karma: karma, deed
• karma: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• phaliṣyati: will bear fruit
• phaliṣyati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √phal (फल्)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• tathā: thus
• tathā: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/तुल्यताबोधक (thus/so)

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि = ‘even/also’

• me: of me / for me
• me: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी (Genitive/Dative), एकवचन; उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम—अत्र षष्ठी (of me)

Speaker

King

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: the advising sages/counselors

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king speaks with calm gravity, eyes lowered, acknowledging past-life karma; the court quiets, and the sages listen, measuring his understanding against the need for action.

Characters & Entities

• King

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Karmic results follow the jīva across lives; recognizing karmaphala encourages responsibility and steadiness in dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse presents a karmic reflection.