Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

न कार्यः शपथस्तस्मात्तस्याग्रेऽपि लघुर्द्विजाः । अपि हास्योपचारेण आत्मनः सुखमिच्छता

Transliteration

na kāryaḥ śapathastasmāttasyāgre'pi laghurdvijāḥ | api hāsyopacāreṇa ātmanaḥ sukhamicchatā

Translation

Ainsi, ô brāhmaṇas, il ne faut pas prêter serment, ni même le traiter à la légère en sa présence. Même sous forme de plaisanterie, celui qui veut son propre bien doit s’en abstenir.

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• कार्यः: to be done; should be performed
• कार्यः: Karma (Object/Predicate complement/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √कृ (धातु) → कार्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण; भाव्य/अनिवार्य-अर्थे (gerundive/तव्यत्-समर्थ)

• शपथः: an oath
• शपथः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शपथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• तस्मात्: therefore; from that
• तस्मात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source/हेतु-अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; हेतौ/अपादाने (therefore/from that)

• तस्य: of him; his
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive)

• अग्रे: in front; before
• अग्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोगे सप्तमी-एकवचनरूपम्; देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb: 'in front')

• अपि: even; also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावना/अप्यर्थ-निपात (also/even)

• लघुः: light; trivial; slight
• लघुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लघु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण

• द्विजाः: O twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विजाः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; संबोधनार्थे प्रथमा-बहुवचन-प्रयोगः (vocative sense)

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

• हास्य-उपचारेण: by joking treatment; by mockery
• हास्य-उपचारेण: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हास्य (प्रातिपदिक) + उपचार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (हास्यस्य उपचारः); करण-अर्थे

• आत्मनः: of oneself
• आत्मनः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive)

• सुखम्: happiness; comfort
• सुखम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म

• इच्छता: by (a person) desiring
• इच्छता: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √इष् (धातु) → इच्छत् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ-प्रत्यय); कर्तरि; 'by one who desires'

Speaker

Narrative voice (contextual Purāṇic instruction; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa in Tīrthamāhātmya frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śiva-gaṅgā / Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvijāḥ / brāhmaṇas addressed within the narration

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmins counsel a gathered group near the tīrtha: hands raised in instruction, warning against oaths and jesting; the mute jester stands as living proof.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A seeker should avoid careless oaths and disrespectful speech; self-welfare is protected by disciplined, reverent conduct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction occurs within the Nāgara Khaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya context connected to Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra and the Śivagaṅgā Māhātmya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed here; it is a behavioral dharma rule—avoid oaths and joking irreverence in sacred contexts.