Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 49

Devanagari script

प्रथमं मनसा सर्वं चिंत्यते तदनंतरम् । ततः प्रजल्पते वाचा क्रियते कर्मणा ततः

Transliteration

prathamaṃ manasā sarvaṃ ciṃtyate tadanaṃtaram | tataḥ prajalpate vācā kriyate karmaṇā tataḥ

Translation

D’abord, tout est conçu dans l’esprit ; ensuite cela se dit par la voix ; et après cela, cela s’accomplit par l’action.

Word by Word

• प्रथमम्: firstly
• प्रथमम्: Kala-adhikarana (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रथम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोगवत् क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial accusative: firstly)

• मनसा: by the mind
• मनसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• सर्वम्: everything
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समस्त-वाचक (everything)

• चिन्त्यते: is thought about
• चिन्त्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चिन्त् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive: is thought/considered)

• तत्: then
• तत्: Sambandha (Sequencer)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय-प्रयोग (discourse particle: then/thereupon)

• अनन्तरम्: afterwards; immediately after
• अनन्तरम्: Kala-adhikarana (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (adverb: immediately after)

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: Sambandha (Sequencer)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रम/हेतु-बोधक (then/thereafter; from that)

• प्रजल्पते: speaks out
• प्रजल्पते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + जल्प् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; कर्तरि प्रयोग (speaks forth)

• वाचा: by speech
• वाचा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाच् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• क्रियते: is done
• क्रियते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive: is done)

• कर्मणा: by action/deed
• कर्मणा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Sequencer)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रम-बोधक (then)

Speaker

Hārīta (implied from immediate narrative context; confirmed explicitly in 51)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Kāmadeva

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Didactic tableau: Hārīta illustrates the flow from mind to speech to action, perhaps with symbolic imagery—lotus at the heart (mind), sound-wave motif (speech), and ritual gesture (action).

Characters & Entities

• Hārīta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity begins in the mind; speech and actions follow mental intention, so self-restraint must start with thought.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is named in this verse; it functions as a dharmic principle within the wider tīrtha-māhātmya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it implies inner discipline (mental restraint) as the foundation of right conduct.