Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 84

Devanagari script

एतज्ज्ञात्वा महाभाग यद्युक्तं तत्समाचर

Transliteration

etajjñātvā mahābhāga yadyuktaṃ tatsamācara

Translation

Knowing this, O noble one, do what is fitting and proper.

Word by Word

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular (object of ‘ज्ञात्वा’)

• ज्ञात्वा: having understood
• ज्ञात्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Conjunctive action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु) + क्त्वा-प्रत्यय (अव्ययकृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund); ‘having known’

• महाभाग: O fortunate one
• महाभाग: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महā + भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Vocative singular; समासः कर्मधारय (महान् भागः यस्य)

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Clause linker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्तार्थक-समुच्चय (conditional particle)

• युक्तम्: proper, fitting
• युक्तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; युज् धातु, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Predicative adjective ‘proper/right’

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular (object of ‘समाचर’)

• समाचर: do, practice
• समाचर: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + चर् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन; Parasmaipada

Speaker

Unspecified narrator (addressing Andhaka)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A calm advisor addresses a noble listener, gesturing toward restraint and proper action; the background hints at an assembly or threshold before decisive events.

Characters & Entities

• Andhaka (implied addressee)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is situationally applied: once truth is known, one must act in the fitting way rather than from pride or impulse.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned in this standalone line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a general injunction toward proper conduct (yukta-ācaraṇa).