Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

यदि मे न करोषि त्वं वचनं वदतोऽसकृत् । तेन यज्ञेन यक्ष्येऽहं तत्कृत्वान्यं द्विजं गुरुम्

Transliteration

yadi me na karoṣi tvaṃ vacanaṃ vadato'sakṛt | tena yajñena yakṣye'haṃ tatkṛtvānyaṃ dvijaṃ gurum

Translation

നീ ഞാൻ ആവർത്തിച്ച് പറയുന്ന വാക്ക് നടപ്പാക്കുന്നില്ലെങ്കിൽ, ഞാൻ അതേ യാഗം മറ്റൊരു ബ്രാഹ്മണനാൽ നടത്തിക്കും; അവനെയാകും എന്റെ ഗുരുവാക്കുക.

Word by Word

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक-अव्यय

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• करोषि: you do
• करोषि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• वचनम्: command/word
• वचनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• वदतः: of (me) speaking
• वदतः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त ‘वदत्’; षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन

• असकृत्: again and again
• असकृत्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: असकृत् (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (repeatedly)

• तेन: by that
• तेन: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम-विशेषण

• यज्ञेन: by a sacrifice
• यज्ञेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• यक्ष्ये: I will sacrifice
• यक्ष्ये: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: यज् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

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

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• कृत्वा: having done (that)
• कृत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive)

• अन्यम्: another
• अन्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• द्विजम्: a Brahmin
• द्विजम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• गुरुम्: as priest/teacher
• गुरुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; (द्विजम् इति कर्मणः विशेषणवत्)

Speaker

Triśaṅku

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Vasiṣṭha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Triśaṅku delivers an ultimatum, turning away slightly as if to leave; Vasiṣṭha remains seated, unshaken; sages exchange glances, sensing impending rupture.

Characters & Entities

• Triśaṅku
• Vasiṣṭha
• Yajña
• Guru
• Dvija

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It shows the danger of treating sacred rites and guruhood as instruments of personal will rather than dharma-guided authority.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The intention to perform a yajña under another brāhmaṇa’s guidance is stated.