Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 63

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मण उवाच । यदि देव मया सम्यग्गंतव्यं निजमंदिरम् । तद्ब्रूहि कर्मणा येन नरकं याति नो नरः

Transliteration

brāhmaṇa uvāca | yadi deva mayā samyaggaṃtavyaṃ nijamaṃdiram | tadbrūhi karmaṇā yena narakaṃ yāti no naraḥ

Translation

Le brāhmane dit : « Si, ô Seigneur, je dois vraiment retourner comme il se doit à ma demeure, dis-moi : par quelle conduite l’homme ne va-t-il pas en enfer ? »

Word by Word

• ब्राह्मणः: the Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — Nominative singular

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन — “said”

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Condition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तबोधक अव्यय (conditional particle) — “if”

• देव: O lord
• देव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन — Vocative “O lord”

• मया: by me
• मया: Kartr-karana (Agent-instrument/कर्ता-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन — Instrumental “by me”

• सम्यक्: properly
• सम्यक्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्यक् (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण अव्यय (adverb) — “properly/correctly”

• गन्तव्यम्: should be gone / must go
• गन्तव्यम्: Kriya (Obligation/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गम् (धातु) → गन्तव्य (कृदन्त/तव्यत्)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/obligative); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; भावे/कर्तरि—“is to be gone/should go”

• निजमन्दिरम्: my own dwelling
• निजमन्दिरम्: Karma (Goal/Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निज (प्रातिपदिक) + मन्दिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः — “one’s own temple/house”

• तत्: then/that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — “that/then” (correlative)

• ब्रूहि: tell
• ब्रूहि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), परस्मैपद; मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन — “tell (me)”

• कर्मणा: by what deed
• कर्मणा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन — Instrumental “by (what) act/deed”

• येन: by which
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन — Relative instrumental “by which”

• नरकम्: hell
• नरकम्: Karma (Goal/Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — Accusative singular (goal)

• याति: goes
• याति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन — “goes”

• न: not
• न: Nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधबोधक अव्यय (negation particle)

• नरः: a man/person
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — Nominative singular (subject of ‘याति’)

Speaker

Brāhmaṇa (questioner)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Deva/Lord (the instructing authority in the dialogue)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A brāhmaṇa with folded hands asks a radiant lord/teacher for the path of conduct that avoids hell; the setting is a quiet hermitage or tīrtha-bank, signaling a turn from fear to guidance.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa
• Yama

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Seeking guidance on right conduct is itself dharmic; liberation from suffering begins with sincere inquiry.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None in this verse; it introduces a dharma-focused question that leads into prescriptions like tīrthayātrā and worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Not yet; the next verse provides the recommended practices.