Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 118

Devanagari script

तावद्देवोत्थिता वाणी गगनाद्द्विजसत्तमाः । मा शक्र साहसं कार्षीर्वैराग्यं प्राप्य चेतसि

Transliteration

tāvaddevotthitā vāṇī gaganāddvijasattamāḥ | mā śakra sāhasaṃ kārṣīrvairāgyaṃ prāpya cetasi

Translation

Alors s’éleva du ciel une voix divine, ô le meilleur des deux-fois-nés : «Ô Śakra, ne commets pas de témérité, même si le détachement a saisi ton esprit.»

Word by Word

• तावत्: then; so long
• तावत्: Sambandha (Adverbial modifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तावत् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (काल/परिमाणवाचक) = indeclinable adverb ‘so long/then’

• देवोत्थिता: arisen from the gods
• देवोत्थिता: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्थित (कृदन्त, √स्था/√स्था?; उत्-√स्था ‘to arise’)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त ‘उत्थित’ = past passive participle; विशेषण (qualifying)

• वाणी: voice; speech
• वाणी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• गगनात्: from the sky
• गगनात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गगन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन

• द्विजसत्तमाः: O best of the twice-born (brahmins)
• द्विजसत्तमाः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; संबोधनार्थे प्रथमा (vocative sense)

• मा: do not
• मा: Pratiṣedha (Prohibition/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (prohibitive particle)

• शक्र: O Śakra (Indra)
• शक्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (8th), एकवचन

• साहसम्: rash act; violence
• साहसम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साहस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• कार्षीः: you should do
• कार्षीः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (Aorist), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; निषेध ‘मा’ सह = prohibitive aorist

• वैराग्यम्: dispassion; detachment
• वैराग्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैराग्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• प्राप्य: having obtained
• प्राप्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्र-√आप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive) = having obtained

• चेतसि: in (your) mind
• चेतसि: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चेतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

Speaker

Divine voice (Ākāśavāṇī)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijasattamāḥ (addressed audience within frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra (Śakra), poised in agitation, looks upward as an unseen celestial voice issues from the sky; surrounding devas pause, the atmosphere charged with restraint and awe.

Characters & Entities

• Śakra (Indra)
• Ākāśavāṇī (divine voice)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Detachment must mature into disciplined purification, not reckless action; divine instruction redirects the seeker.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is named yet; the verse introduces the divine guidance that will point to a specific tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A prohibition is given: do not perform a rash act; instead, listen for the prescribed means of purification.