Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

आवश्यकमपि त्यक्त्वा कंचिद्ब्राह्मणसत्तमम् । धर्मशास्त्रविधानज्ञं समानीयाथ चाब्रवीत्

Transliteration

āvaśyakamapi tyaktvā kaṃcidbrāhmaṇasattamam | dharmaśāstravidhānajñaṃ samānīyātha cābravīt

Translation

Mettant de côté même ses devoirs habituels, il fit venir un excellent brāhmaṇa, expert des prescriptions des Dharmaśāstras, puis il prit la parole.

Word by Word

• आवश्यकम्: a necessary duty
• आवश्यकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āvaśyaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; अर्थ: आवश्यककार्यं (necessary duty/necessity)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात) = even/also

• त्यक्त्वा: having abandoned
• त्यक्त्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज् (धातु) + त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); अर्थ: त्यक्त्वा = having abandoned

• कंचित्: some
• कंचित्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक (some)

• ब्राह्मणसत्तमम्: the best Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणसत्तमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa + sattama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समास: ब्राह्मणः सत्तमः (best of Brahmins)

• धर्मशास्त्रविधानज्ञम्: knowing the rules of dharma-texts
• धर्मशास्त्रविधानज्ञम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dharma-śāstra + vidhāna + jña (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समास: धर्मशास्त्रस्य विधानं जानाति इति (knower of the ordinances of dharmaśāstra)

• समानीय: having brought (him)
• समानीय: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + नी (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); अर्थ: समानीय = having brought/summoned

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Sequence/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अनन्तरार्थक) = then

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक) = and

• अब्रवीत्: said, spoke
• अब्रवीत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (अद्यतनभूत/Aorist), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; धातु: ब्रू (to speak)

Speaker

Narrator

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijāḥ (addressed in prior verse; narrative continues)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sāṃba respectfully summons a venerable brāhmaṇa—calm, austere, holding a manuscript or rosary; Sāṃba’s urgency contrasts with the brāhmaṇa’s composed authority.

Characters & Entities

• Sāṃba
• Brāhmaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When confused by sin and fear, one should approach qualified dharma authorities and seek correction.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this verse; it frames the dharmic inquiry within a tīrtha-māhātmya chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The prescription is indirect: consult a dharmaśāstra-knowing brāhmaṇa to determine proper prāyaścitta.