Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

अनुज्ञां देहि मे ब्रह्मन्प्रयास्यामि निजं गृहम् । मम कृत्यं समादेश्यं येन ते स्यात्प्रयोजनम्

Transliteration

anujñāṃ dehi me brahmanprayāsyāmi nijaṃ gṛham | mama kṛtyaṃ samādeśyaṃ yena te syātprayojanam

Translation

«Accorde-moi la permission, ô Brahman ; je partirai vers ma demeure. Ordonne-moi le devoir que je dois accomplir, afin que ton dessein s’accomplisse.»

Word by Word

• अनुज्ञाम्: permission
• अनुज्ञाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनुज्ञा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• देहि: give (grant)
• देहि: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• मे: to me
• मे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; enclitic form

• ब्रह्मन्: O Brahmin/O revered one
• ब्रह्मन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• प्रयास्यामि: I shall go forth/depart
• प्रयास्यामि: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-या (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• निजम्: one's own
• निजम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• गृहम्: home/house
• गृहम्: Karma (Goal/Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• मम: my/of me
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• कृत्यम्: task/duty
• कृत्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; “duty/task”

• समादेश्यम्: to be assigned/instructed
• समादेश्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-आ-दिश् (धातु) → समादेश्य (कृदन्त, यत्/अनीय)
• Form: भाव्य/विधेय (gerundive: “to be instructed/assigned”), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (कृत्यस्य)

• येन: by which/so that
• येन: Karana/Hetu (Means/Cause/करण-हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; साधन/हेतु-प्रयोग

• ते: your/of you
• ते: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; enclitic form

• स्यात्: may be/would be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• प्रयोजनम्: purpose/need
• प्रयोजनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयोजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Rājā (the king/royal sage)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king, still bowed, requests leave to return home and asks for a task to fulfill the sage’s purpose; the sage listens with composed authority.

Characters & Entities

• Brahman (addressed sage, Jamadagni by context)
• Rājarṣi (speaker)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True nobility is expressed through obedience, service, and seeking the sage’s welfare rather than one’s own convenience.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within a tīrtha-māhātmya narrative frame, but it does not name a distinct tīrtha; it highlights āśrama-dharma within the sacred landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it prescribes conduct—seeking permission (anujñā) and accepting assigned duty (kṛtya).