Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

तत्कथं मंत्रवीर्यं तत्क्रियते मोघमित्यहो । वेदोक्तं च विशेषेण तस्मादत्र वद प्रभो

Transliteration

tatkathaṃ maṃtravīryaṃ tatkriyate moghamityaho | vedoktaṃ ca viśeṣeṇa tasmādatra vada prabho

Translation

Wie könnte, ach, die Kraft des Mantras fruchtlos werden? Da dies im Veda in besonderer Weise bekräftigt ist, so erkläre es uns hier, o Herr.

Word by Word

• तत्: that
• तत्: Sambandha (Reference)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; संदर्भवाचक

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Prashna (Interrogative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (प्रश्नार्थक/adverb: how)

• मन्त्रवीर्यम्: the power of the mantra
• मन्त्रवीर्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + वीर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (emphasis)

• क्रियते: is done, is made
• क्रियते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• मोघम्: in vain, fruitless
• मोघम्: Kriya-vishesana (Result/Complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मोघ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (as predicate complement)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उद्धरण/quotative particle)

• अहो: alas!/oh!
• अहो: Bhava (Exclamation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अहो (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (विस्मय/उद्गार interjection)

• वेदोक्तम्: enjoined in the Veda
• वेदोक्तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक) + उक्त (कृदन्त; √वच्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (तत्/कर्म)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय)

• विशेषेण: especially
• विशेषेण: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययीभूत (instrumental used adverbially) = 'especially'

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययीभूत (ablative used as indeclinable: therefore/from that)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक)

• वद: speak, tell
• वद: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• प्रभो: O lord
• प्रभो: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

Speaker

Sages (Munis)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dakṣa

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sages, earnest and perplexed, ask how mantra-power can be made ineffective despite Vedic affirmation; Dakṣa is poised to explain, with the altar and Vedic texts implied nearby.

Characters & Entities

• Munis (Sages)
• Veda

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True ritual efficacy depends not only on technique but on rightful intention and dharmic alignment, even when Veda-sanctioned.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific sacred site is named in this verse; it is a doctrinal question within a Tīrthamāhātmya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; it asks for an explanation of how mantra-power might become ineffective despite Vedic sanction.