Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

कस्यचिन्निर्णयो देयो मध्यस्थस्य द्विजोत्तमैः । वेदवाक्येन संत्यज्य वाक्यं मनुजसंभवम् ओ

Transliteration

kasyacinnirṇayo deyo madhyasthasya dvijottamaiḥ | vedavākyena saṃtyajya vākyaṃ manujasaṃbhavam o

Translation

Dans quelque affaire, la décision doit être rendue par les meilleurs brāhmanes par l’entremise d’un médiateur impartial, en écartant la simple opinion des hommes et en fondant le jugement sur la parole du Veda.

Word by Word

• कस्यचित्: of some (person)
• कस्यचित्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सर्वनाम-प्रयोगः; 'चित्' = अव्यय-निपातः (indefinite particle)

• निर्णयः: decision, verdict
• निर्णयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निर्णय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• देयः: to be given, should be given
• देयः: Karya (Obligation/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दा (धातु) + यत् (कृत् प्रत्यय) → देय (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: यत्-कृदन्त (gerundive/obligatory), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम् (predicate adjective)

• मध्यस्थस्य: of the mediator/arbiter
• मध्यस्थस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्यस्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• द्विजोत्तमैः: by the best of the twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विजोत्तमैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः (द्विजानाम् उत्तमाः), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन

• वेदवाक्येन: by a Vedic statement
• वेदवाक्येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद + वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः (वेदस्य वाक्यम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• संत्यज्य: having abandoned, setting aside
• संत्यज्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम् + त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), क्रियाविशेषण-भावः

• वाक्यम्: statement, utterance
• वाक्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• मनुजसंभवम्: human-origin, arising from men
• मनुजसंभवम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मनुज + सम्भव (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः (मनुजस्य सम्भवः), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'वाक्यम्' इति विशेषणम्

• ओ: o (exclamation/recitation marker)
• ओ: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ओ (प्रणव/उद्गार)
• Form: उद्गार/पाठ-चिह्नरूप अव्यय (interjection/recitation marker)

Speaker

Viśvāmitra (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Brahmaśālā (as dharma-sabhā within Nāgara-khaṇḍa)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A solemn assembly in a Brahmaśālā: senior brāhmaṇas seated in a semi-circle, a neutral mediator between disputants, palm-leaf Veda texts present; the verdict is pronounced with calm authority.

Characters & Entities

• Veda
• Dvija (Brāhmaṇas)
• Madhyastha (mediator)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharmic judgments should be impartial and grounded in śāstra—especially the Veda—rather than personal or popular opinion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction is part of the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra-māhātmya narrative flow within Nāgara-khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Use a madhyastha (neutral mediator) and base the nirṇaya on Vedic authority, not on man-made talk.