Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

तन्न युक्तं भवेदीदृगस्माकं वचनं द्विजाः । तस्मात्तत्क्रियतां कर्म येनायं स्याच्चिरायुधृक्

Transliteration

tanna yuktaṃ bhavedīdṛgasmākaṃ vacanaṃ dvijāḥ | tasmāttatkriyatāṃ karma yenāyaṃ syāccirāyudhṛk

Translation

Wahai para dvija, tidaklah patut bila ucapan kita menjadi demikian. Maka hendaklah dilakukan suatu karma, agar anak ini dapat menanggung hidup untuk waktu yang panjang.

Word by Word

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karman/Viṣaya (Topic/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; वाक्यविषय (topic)

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• युक्तम्: proper/appropriate
• युक्तम्: Karta-pradhāna-viśeṣaṇa (Predicate qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युक्त (प्रातिपदिक; √युज् क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle used adjectivally); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेयविशेषण

• भवेत्: would be
• भवेत्: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ईदृक्: such (of this kind)
• ईदृक्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ईदृश्/ईदृक् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत्/प्रातिपदिक; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier of वचनम्)

• अस्माकम्: of us/our
• अस्माकम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन (plural stem meaning “of us”)

• वचनम्: statement/word
• वचनम्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• द्विजाः: O twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विजाः: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (Vocative), बहुवचन

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu/Anvaya (Inference marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तस्मात् (तद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत्; हेत्वर्थक/तस्मादर्थे (therefore; ablative used adverbially)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karman (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• क्रियताम्: let (it) be done
• क्रियताम्: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive): “let it be done”

• कर्म: a rite/action
• कर्म: Karman (Object/complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय/आज्ञाविषय (thing to be done)

• येन: by which
• येन: Karaṇa (Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; साधनार्थ (instrumental of means)

• अयम्: this one
• अयम्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• स्यात्: may be/become
• स्यात्: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• चिरायुधृक्: long-lived (lit. long holding life/arms)
• चिरायुधृक्: Karta-pradhāna-viśeṣaṇa (Predicate qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चिर-आयुध-धृक् (प्रातिपदिक; चिर + आयुध + धृक्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विधेयविशेषण (predicative)

Speaker

Vasiṣṭha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The sages confer with resolve; Vasiṣṭha urges a specific act to ensure the boy’s long life, transforming grief into purposeful ritual intent.

Characters & Entities

• Vasiṣṭha
• dvija (twice-born sages/brāhmaṇas)
• brahmacārin (boy)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is responsibility: the wise do not remain passive when harm is foreseen; they seek rightful means to protect life and uphold the integrity of their speech.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse does not name a tīrtha; it frames the need for a remedial ‘karma’ within the larger tīrthamāhātmya context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A general prescription is given—‘perform an act/rite (karma) so he becomes long-lived’—without detailing the specific rite in this line.