Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 49

Devanagari script

एतत्पुनर्वयं विद्मः सदा सत्यवतां नृणाम् । न निष्फलः क्रियारंभः कथंचिदपि जायते

Transliteration

etatpunarvayaṃ vidmaḥ sadā satyavatāṃ nṛṇām | na niṣphalaḥ kriyāraṃbhaḥ kathaṃcidapi jāyate

Translation

«Ceci, nous le savons avec certitude : pour les hommes voués à la Vérité, l’entreprise d’une action juste ne devient jamais vaine, d’aucune façon.»

Word by Word

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पुनः: again/further
• पुनः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: again/further)

• वयम्: we
• वयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• विद्मः: we know
• विद्मः: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तम-पुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, कालवाचक-क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

• सत्यवताम्: of the truthful
• सत्यवताम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्यवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन

• नृणाम्: of men/people
• नृणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात

• निष्फलः: fruitless
• निष्फलः: Pratishedhya (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निष्फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• क्रियारम्भः: the beginning of an action/undertaking
• क्रियारम्भः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रिया + आरम्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (क्रियायाः आरम्भः)

• कथंचित्: somehow
• कथंचित्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथंचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकारवाचक-क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: somehow/by any means)

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

• जायते: arises/comes to be
• जायते: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Sakhyaḥ

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and ṛṣis (frame implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic pause: companions or narrator affirm a universal principle—truthful people’s righteous undertakings never fail—set against a backdrop of impending action.

Characters & Entities

• Satya
• Kriyā (undertaking)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Truthfulness aligns one’s actions with dharma, ensuring that sincere efforts yield auspicious results.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned; it is a general dharmic assurance within the Māhātmya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it emphasizes the efficacy of dharmic action grounded in truth.