Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

पदमेकं प्रतिश्रुत्य न ददाति हि दुर्मतिः । तस्मात्त्वया गृहीतव्यं तृतीयं पदमेव च

Transliteration

padamekaṃ pratiśrutya na dadāti hi durmatiḥ | tasmāttvayā gṛhītavyaṃ tṛtīyaṃ padameva ca

Translation

«Après avoir promis un pas, cet esprit mauvais ne le donne pas. C’est pourquoi tu dois saisir aussi le troisième pas.»

Word by Word

• पदम्: a step
• पदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative singular

• एकम्: one
• एकम्: Karma (Qualifier/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative singular; विशेषण (of पदम्)

• प्रतिश्रुत्य: having promised
• प्रतिश्रुत्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति-श्रु (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त अव्ययकृदन्त — gerund: 'having promised'

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध) — negation particle

• ददाति: gives
• ददाति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — Present, 3rd person singular, active

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (हेतु/निश्चय) — particle 'indeed/for'

• दुर्मतिः: the evil-minded one
• दुर्मतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्-मति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative singular; समासः कर्मधारयः (दुष्टा मतिः यस्य)

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात् इति पञ्चमी-एकवचनरूपं अव्ययीभावेन — ablative used adverbially: 'therefore/from that'

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Kartr-karana (Agent in passive/कर्ता-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन — Pronoun, Instrumental singular

• गृहीतव्यम्: should be taken
• गृहीतव्यम्: Kriya (Obligation predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (कर्तव्यता/विधेय), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — gerundive: 'should be taken'

• तृतीयम्: third
• तृतीयम्: Karma (Qualifier/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तृतीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative singular; विशेषण (of पदम्)

• पदम्: step
• पदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative singular

• एव: certainly
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अवधारण) — emphatic particle

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

Speaker

Vāmana (Viṣṇu) speaking to Garuḍa (from immediate context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (frame)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vāmana’s instruction sharpens: Bali withholds the promised step; Garuḍa is ordered to seize the third—foretelling the moment of surrender and subjugation.

Characters & Entities

• Vāmana
• Garuḍa
• Bali

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Breaking a vow undermines dharma; the cosmos is sustained by truthfulness (satya) and fulfillment of pledged words.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kedārakhaṇḍa context provides the sacred-authoritative frame; the verse itself is ethical and narrative rather than topographical.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; it stresses the dharmic obligation of honoring a pledged offering.