Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

तथा त्वमसि वाक्पाशाच्छिवभक्तिसमन्वितः । भूतले तिष्ठ दैत्येंद्र मा वाग्वैकल्प्यमाप्नुहि

Transliteration

tathā tvamasi vākpāśācchivabhaktisamanvitaḥ | bhūtale tiṣṭha daityeṃdra mā vāgvaikalpyamāpnuhi

Translation

നീയും നിന്റെ വാക്പാശത്തിൽ ബന്ധിതനായി ശിവഭക്തിയാൽ സമന്വിതനാകുന്നു. ഹേ ദൈത്യേന്ദ്രാ, ഭൂതലത്തിൽ തന്നെ നിലകൊൾക; വാക്കിൽ ദ്വന്ദ്വമോ വിരോധമോ പ്രാപിക്കരുത്.

Word by Word

• तथा: thus, so
• तथा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (indeclinable adverb: ‘thus/so’)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग/सामान्य; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (singular)

• असि: are
• असि: Kriyā (Predicate verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (अस् धातु)
• Form: लट् (present indicative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (singular); परस्मैपद

• वाक्पाशात्: from the noose of speech
• वाक्पाशात्: Apādāna (Source/Separation/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāk-pāśa (वाक् + पाश प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘वाचः पाशः’)

• शिवभक्तिसमन्वितः: endowed with devotion to Śiva
• शिवभक्तिसमन्वितः: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival complement/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śiva-bhakti-samanvita (शिव + भक्ति + समन्वित प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण; समासः तत्पुरुषः (‘शिवभक्त्या समन्वितः’)

• भूतले: on the ground
• भूतले: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhū-tala (भू + तल प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (‘भूते तलम्’)

• तिष्ठ: stand, remain
• तिष्ठ: Kriyā (Command/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sthā (स्था धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• दैत्येन्द्र: O lord of the Daityas
• दैत्येन्द्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daitya-indra (दैत्य + इन्द्र प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (‘दैत्यानाम् इन्द्रः’)

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

• वाग्वैकल्प्यम्: wavering/alternation of speech
• वाग्वैकल्प्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāk-vaikalpya (वाक् + वैकल्प्य प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (‘वाचः वैकल्प्यम्’)

• आप्नुहि: attain, incur
• आप्नुहि: Kriyā (Command/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: āp (आप् धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Brahmā (admonition; inferred)

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Daityendra (lord of Daityas)
• Vākpāśa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion must be supported by truthfulness; one should not break promises or become inconsistent in speech, even under pressure.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No explicit tīrtha is named; the focus is ethical and devotional rather than geographical.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it prescribes dhārmic discipline—steadfastness in one’s word and continued Śiva-bhakti.