Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

तस्मात्सत्यं पुरस्कृत्य मां तारय महामते । एतत्ते परमं श्रेयस्तपसोऽपि भविष्यति

Transliteration

tasmātsatyaṃ puraskṛtya māṃ tāraya mahāmate | etatte paramaṃ śreyastapaso'pi bhaviṣyati

Translation

അതുകൊണ്ട് സത്യത്തെ മുൻനിർത്തി, ഹേ മഹാമതേ, എന്നെ രക്ഷിക്കണമേ. ഇതുതന്നെ നിനക്കു പരമ ശ്രേയസ്സാകും—തപസ്സിനേക്കാളും ഉന്നതം.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी-एकवचनरूपेण प्रयुक्तं अव्ययीभाववत् (ablatival adverb) ‘therefore/from that’

• सत्यम्: truth
• सत्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• पुरस्कृत्य: having honored / keeping foremost
• पुरस्कृत्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरस्-√कृ (धातु) + क्त्वा (अव्ययकृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive) ‘having placed in front/having honored’

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• तारय: save / ferry across
• तारय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तॄ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• महामते: O great-minded one
• महामते: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महामति (प्रातिपदिक; महा + मति)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/vocative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः ‘महान् मतिः यस्य’

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• ते: for you / your
• ते: Sampradana/Sambandha (Recipient/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-एकवचन (genitive/dative) ‘of/for you’

• परमम्: supreme
• परमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; श्रेयः इति विशेषण

• श्रेयः: highest good
• श्रेयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रेयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तपसः: of austerity
• तपसः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अतिशय-अव्यय (even/also)

• भविष्यति: will be
• भविष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (भविष्यत्/साधारण-भविष्यत्काल), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

Speaker

Kṛtaghna (the preta)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A tormented preta with a faint, smoky body folds hands before a noble king/sage; above them a bright banner reading ‘satya’ shines like a path, indicating rescue and upliftment.

Characters & Entities

• Vidūratha (addressed as mahāmate)
• Satya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Truth-centered compassionate action is praised as a supreme spiritual merit, surpassing even severe austerity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it prepares the king to undertake a site-specific liberating act.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A directive to perform the saving act grounded in satya; the concrete rite is described in subsequent verses.