Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

सर्वे धर्मा धृताः पूर्वमेकत्राऽन्यत्र चाप्यृतम् । तुलायां कौतुकाद्देवैर्जातं तत्र ऋतं गुरु

Transliteration

sarve dharmā dhṛtāḥ pūrvamekatrā'nyatra cāpyṛtam | tulāyāṃ kautukāddevairjātaṃ tatra ṛtaṃ guru

Translation

Antaño, todos los dharmas fueron reunidos en un lado, y en otro se colocó también el ṛta. Por curiosidad, los dioses los pusieron en una balanza, y allí el ṛta resultó más pesado, más preeminente.

Word by Word

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन; ‘all’ (धर्माः इति विशेषण)

• धर्माः: duties, virtues
• धर्माः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन

• धृताः: were placed/held
• धृताः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे ‘were held/placed’

• पूर्वम्: formerly, earlier
• पूर्वम्: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• एकत्र: in one place
• एकत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एकत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• अन्यत्र: elsewhere
• अन्यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावना/समुच्चय-अव्यय (particle: also/even)

• ऋतम्: ṛta (truth/order)
• ऋतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘truth/cosmic order’

• तुलायाम्: on the balance (scale)
• तुलायाम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तुला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• कौतुकात्: from curiosity
• कौतुकात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source/हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौतुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे ‘out of curiosity’

• देवैः: by the gods
• देवैः: Kartr (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; कर्तृ-करणभावे (agents)

• जातम्: became / was found
• जातम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘was born/turned out’

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• ऋतम्: ṛta (truth)
• ऋतम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• गुरु: heavier, weightier
• गुरु: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (predicate adjective)

Speaker

Kṛtaghna (the preta)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Gods assemble around a giant balance scale; on one pan lie many scrolls labeled ‘dharma’, on the other a single radiant tablet labeled ‘ṛta/satya’ that sinks the scale, astonishing the devas.

Characters & Entities

• Devas (gods)
• Ṛta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ṛta/satya is portrayed as the heaviest—most authoritative—principle, surpassing other dharmic observances.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; it provides a universal ethical foundation for the forthcoming tīrtha instruction.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it uses a mythic ‘weighing’ metaphor to establish the supremacy of ṛta (truth).