Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 123

Devanagari script

प्रोक्तस्तव प्रसादेन वेदांतज्ञा वयं स्थिताः । श्रुताध्ययनसंपन्ना याचस्व गुरुदक्षिणाम्

Transliteration

proktastava prasādena vedāṃtajñā vayaṃ sthitāḥ | śrutādhyayanasaṃpannā yācasva gurudakṣiṇām

Translation

Ils dirent : « Par ta grâce, nous avons reçu l’enseignement et nous demeurons désormais établis comme connaisseurs du Vedānta, accomplis dans l’écoute et l’étude. Demande donc la guru-dakṣiṇā, l’offrande due au maître ».

Word by Word

• proktaḥ: has been taught/said
• proktaḥ: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vac (धातु) + pra + kta (क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• tava: of you/your
• tava: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• prasādena: by (your) grace
• prasādena: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prasāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• vedānta-jñāḥ: knowers of Vedānta
• vedānta-jñāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vedānta (प्रातिपदिक) + jña (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास

• vayam: we
• vayam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• sthitāḥ: are established/stand
• sthitāḥ: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sthā (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• śruta-adhyayana-saṃpannāḥ: endowed with learning and study of śruti
• śruta-adhyayana-saṃpannāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śruta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + adhyayana (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃpanna (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (श्रुतं च अध्ययनं च येन सम्पन्नाः)

• yācasva: ask/request
• yācasva: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: yāc (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ/imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• guru-dakṣiṇām: teacher’s fee
• guru-dakṣiṇām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guru (प्रातिपदिक) + dakṣiṇā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (गुरवे दातव्या दक्षिणा)

Speaker

Brāhmaṇas (assembly of learned men)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bhāskara-pratiṣṭhā-kṣetra (implied)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brāhmaṇas with folded hands address Yājñavalkya, expressing gratitude and requesting him to name his desired guru-dakṣiṇā; manuscripts and ritual implements indicate both study and dharma.

Characters & Entities

• Vedānta
• Guru-dakṣiṇā
• Yājñavalkya (implied addressee)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Knowledge received must be sealed with gratitude—honoring the guru is part of dharma, not separate from learning.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse remains within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa tīrtha narrative frame; it focuses on teacher-honor rather than a named site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Guru-dakṣiṇā (an offering/honorarium to the teacher) is explicitly mentioned.