Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

मम सत्यं भवेद्वाक्य मेतस्मादहमागतः । प्राप्तराज्यप्रतिष्ठोऽपि तव भ्राता महाबलः

Transliteration

mama satyaṃ bhavedvākya metasmādahamāgataḥ | prāptarājyapratiṣṭho'pi tava bhrātā mahābalaḥ

Translation

എന്റെ വാക്ക് സത്യമാകട്ടെ—ഇതിനാലാണ് ഞാൻ വന്നത്; നിന്റെ മഹാബലനായ സഹോദരൻ രാജ്യം നേടി സ്ഥാപിതനായിട്ടും (അഹങ്കാരഭയം ഓർത്ത്) ധർമ്മസംയമം പാലിക്കണം.

Word by Word

• मम: my
• मम: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सम्बन्धे

• सत्यम्: true
• सत्यम्: Vidheyavisheshana (Predicate adjective/विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम् (वाक्यम्)

• भवेत्: may be
• भवेत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचन

• वाक्यम्: statement, word
• वाक्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• मेतस्मात्: from this (on my part: 'my... from this')
• मेतस्मात्: Shashthi-sambandha + Apadana (Genitive + Ablative/षष्ठी + अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मद् + एतस्मात् (सन्धि)
• Form: मद् (अस्मद्) षष्ठी (6th) एकवचन + एतद्-प्रातिपदिक तस्मात् (पञ्चमी 5th, एकवचन, नपुंसक/पुं); सन्धिः: मे + एतस्मात्

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• आगतः: has come
• आगतः: Vidheyavisheshana (Predicate participle/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + गम् (धातु) → आगत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्तः भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृत्; अहम्-सम्बद्धः

• प्राप्तराज्यप्रतिष्ठः: established in the obtained kingdom
• प्राप्तराज्यप्रतिष्ठः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राप्त (प्र + आप्/आप्नोति, कृदन्त क्त) + राज्य (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रतिष्ठ (प्रति + स्था, कृदन्त क्त) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः (तत्पुरुषः): प्राप्तं राज्यं यस्य सः / राज्ये प्रतिष्ठितः; विशेषणम् (भ्राता)

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

• तव: your
• तव: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सम्बन्धे

• भ्राता: brother
• भ्राता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भ्रातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• महाबलः: mighty, of great strength
• महाबलः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः: महान् बलः यस्य सः; विशेषणम् (भ्राता)

Speaker

Rāma (implied, addressing Vibhīṣaṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setu-tīrtha (implied)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A messenger/teacher figure declares the purpose of his coming: to speak truth and caution about a powerful brother already enthroned—success must not become arrogance.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Vibhīṣaṇa
• Brother of Vibhīṣaṇa (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Truthful counsel is offered to protect dharma even after power is secured; stability must be guided by righteousness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is directly referenced in this line; it functions as narrative linkage within the tīrtha-māhātmya chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed here.