Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

तद्वृथा चिन्तितं सव त्वयागत्य कृतं द्विज । मिथ्याप्रतिज्ञेन सता दुरनुष्ठितमद्य ते

Transliteration

tadvṛthā cintitaṃ sava tvayāgatya kṛtaṃ dvija | mithyāpratijñena satā duranuṣṭhitamadya te

Translation

Toute cette préparation a été vaine, ô brāhmane, à cause de ta venue. Par une promesse mensongère, aujourd’hui tu as mal agi.

Word by Word

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; ‘चिन्तितम्/कृतम्’ इत्यस्य निर्देशः

• वृथा: in vain
• वृथा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वृथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• चिन्तितम्: was thought/considered
• चिन्तितम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चिन्त् (धातु)
• Form: कृतप्रत्ययान्त (क्त) भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• सव: O friend (reading uncertain)
• सव: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; पाठभेदः—सम्भाव्यं ‘सख’/‘सर्व’ इति

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम, त्रितीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• आगत्य: having come
• आगत्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ+गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund) — ‘having come’

• कृतम्: was done
• कृतम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• द्विज: O Brahmin
• द्विज: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• मिथ्या-प्रतिज्ञेन: by/with a false promise
• मिथ्या-प्रतिज्ञेन: Karana (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मिथ्या (अव्यय) + प्रतिज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—‘मिथ्या प्रतिज्ञा यस्य/येन’ (with false promise)

• सता: by the ‘virtuous/true’ (person)
• सता: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; ‘मिथ्याप्रतिज्ञेन’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम् (by a so-called ‘good/true’ one)

• दुर्-अनुष्ठितम्: badly carried out
• दुर्-अनुष्ठितम्: Kriya (Predicate complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर् (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + अनुष्ठित (प्रातिपदिक; √स्था/अनु+स्था)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—‘दुष्टम् अनुष्ठितम्’ (badly performed)

• अद्य: today/now
• अद्य: Kriya-viseshana (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• ते: of you/your
• ते: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

Speaker

The group addressing the baṭu (disguised Śiva), accusing him

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā tīrtha (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stern speaker confronts a brāhmaṇa host, accusing him of false promise; the group stands tense at a shrine courtyard, with the river nearby.

Characters & Entities

• Dvija
• Pratijñā (promise)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Truthfulness and keeping one’s word are pillars of dharma; a broken promise is treated as serious misconduct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā/Narmadā pilgrimage setting, where ethical conduct is highlighted alongside sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No rite is prescribed; the focus is on the dharmic obligation of satya (truth) and honoring commitments.