Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

यद्येवमपि देवेश यज्ञकर्म करिष्यसि । अवमन्य द्विजान्सर्वाक्षिप्रं गच्छास्मदंतिकात्

Transliteration

yadyevamapi deveśa yajñakarma kariṣyasi | avamanya dvijānsarvākṣipraṃ gacchāsmadaṃtikāt

Translation

«Même ainsi, ô Seigneur des dieux, si tu t’obstines à accomplir le rite sacrificiel, alors—après avoir déshonoré tous les brāhmaṇas—éloigne-toi promptement de notre présence.»

Word by Word

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Condition marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्त-अव्यय (if)

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (thus/so)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (even/also)

• देवेश: O Lord of gods
• देवेश: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवेश (प्रातिपदिक; देव + ईश)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (देवानाम् ईशः)

• यज्ञकर्म: sacrificial rite
• यज्ञकर्म: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ + कर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (यज्ञस्य कर्म = sacrificial act)

• करिष्यसि: you will do
• करिष्यसि: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• अवमन्य: having disrespected
• अवमन्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-मन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); ‘having disrespected’

• द्विजान्: Brahmins (twice-born)
• द्विजान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), बहुवचन; कर्मपदम्

• सर्वान्: all
• सर्वान्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), बहुवचन; ‘द्विजान्’ विशेषणम् (all)

• क्षिप्रम्: quickly
• क्षिप्रम्: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्षिप्रम् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (quickly)

• गच्छ: go
• गच्छ: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम् (go!)

• अस्मदन्तिकात्: from our presence
• अस्मदन्तिकात्: Apādāna (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् + अन्तिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग-सम्भव, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (अस्माकम् अन्तिकात् = from our vicinity)

Speaker

Brāhmaṇas (assembled priests)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nāgara-kṣetra (ritual precinct)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brāhmaṇas, stern yet composed, instruct the deva: if he persists, he must leave—signaling that the sacred assembly withdraws sanction; the yajña ground appears paused, with attendants holding ladles and kuśa, fire subdued.

Characters & Entities

• Deveśa (Lord of the gods)
• Dvijāḥ (Brāhmaṇas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual power depends on humility and consent; violating dharmic guardianship (Brāhmaṇas and local maryādā) destroys legitimacy.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching is situated in a Nāgara-associated kṣetra within the Tīrthamāhātmya, highlighting that the site’s holiness is protected by strict ritual decorum.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A prohibition by the priests: do not proceed with yajña contrary to their injunction; otherwise, the performer is to withdraw.