Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

अहं त्र्यक्षेण सावित्रि पुरा प्रोक्ता मुहुर्मुहुः । नारदस्य मुनेर्वाक्यं न श्रद्धेयं त्वया प्रिये । यदि वांछसि सौख्यानि मम जातानि पार्वति

Transliteration

ahaṃ tryakṣeṇa sāvitri purā proktā muhurmuhuḥ | nāradasya munervākyaṃ na śraddheyaṃ tvayā priye | yadi vāṃchasi saukhyāni mama jātāni pārvati

Translation

“O Sāvitri, long ago the Three-eyed Lord warned me again and again: ‘Beloved, you should not trust the words of the sage Nārada, if you desire the happiness that arises from me, O Pārvatī.’”

Word by Word

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, उत्तमपुरुषार्थक; एकवचन; प्रथमा (Nominative singular)

• त्र्यक्षेण: by the three-eyed one (Śiva)
• त्र्यक्षेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्र्यक्ष (प्रातिपदिक; त्रि + अक्ष)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (Instrumental) एकवचन; करण-कारक (by/with)

• सावित्रि: O Sāvitrī
• सावित्रि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सावित्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; संबोधन (Vocative) एकवचन

• पुरा: formerly, earlier
• पुरा: Adverbial (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• प्रोक्ता: was told, was spoken (to)
• प्रोक्ता: Karma (Patient/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु) → प्रोक्त (कृदन्त-भूतकर्मणि)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; कर्तृवाच्ये ‘अहम्’ सह (I was told/spoken to)

• मुहुः: again and again
• मुहुः: Adverbial (रीति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मुहुः (अव्यय)
• Form: आवृत्तिवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: repeatedly)

• मुहुः: again and again
• मुहुः: Adverbial (रीति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मुहुः (अव्यय)
• Form: आवृत्तिवाचक-अव्यय (repetition for emphasis)

• नारदस्य: of Nārada
• नारदस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (Genitive) एकवचन

• मुनेः: of the sage
• मुनेः: Shashthi-sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (Genitive) एकवचन

• वाक्यम्: statement, words
• वाक्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (Accusative) एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Negation
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• श्रद्धेयम्: to be trusted, credible
• श्रद्धेयम्: Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रद्धेय (प्रातिपदिक; √श्रध्/श्रद्धा + यत्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (predicate adjective)

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; तृतीया (Instrumental) एकवचन; करण-कारक (by you)

• प्रिये: O dear one
• प्रिये: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; संबोधन (Vocative) एकवचन

• यदि: if
• यदि: Connector (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तवाचक-अव्यय (conditional conjunction)

• वाञ्छसि: you desire
• वाञ्छसि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वाञ्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present); मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person); एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सौख्यानि: happinesses, comforts
• सौख्यानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सौख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (Accusative) बहुवचन

• मम: my
• मम: Shashthi-sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; षष्ठी (Genitive) एकवचन

• जातानि: born, arisen
• जातानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जात (कृदन्त; √जन् धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया बहुवचन; ‘सौख्यानि’ विशेषण

• पार्वति: O Pārvatī
• पार्वति: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्वती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; संबोधन (Vocative) एकवचन

Speaker

Sāvitrī (addressing Pārvatī/Gaurī; Śiva is quoted as ‘Tryakṣa’)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Gaurī recalls Śiva’s repeated warning to Sāvitrī: do not trust Nārada’s words; the mood is tense, intimate, and cautionary.

Characters & Entities

• Sāvitrī
• Śiva (Tryakṣa)
• Nārada
• Pārvatī (Gaurī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even in sacred matters, faith should be joined with discernment; one should verify before surrendering the mind to rumor or provocative counsel.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.