Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

राजोवाच । यदि वः संशयो विप्रा युष्मत्प्रश्नमसंशयम् । कथयिष्याभि चेद्गुह्यं तद्वद्ध्वं गप्ल ज्वराः

Transliteration

rājovāca | yadi vaḥ saṃśayo viprā yuṣmatpraśnamasaṃśayam | kathayiṣyābhi cedguhyaṃ tadvaddhvaṃ gapla jvarāḥ

Translation

രാജാവ് പറഞ്ഞു—ഹേ വിപ്രന്മാരേ! നിങ്ങൾക്ക് സംശയം ഉണ്ടെങ്കിൽ, നിങ്ങളുടെ ചോദ്യം സംശയരഹിതമായി പറയുക. ഞാൻ ഗുഹ്യ ഉപദേശം പറയേണ്ടതാണെങ്കിൽ, അത് നിങ്ങൾ വ്യക്തമായി (ചോദ്യമായി) ഉച്ചരിക്കുക.

Word by Word

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Logical connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्तार्थक (conditional particle)

• वः: of you; your
• वः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; ‘of you/your’

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• विप्राः: O brāhmaṇas
• विप्राः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), बहुवचन

• युष्मत्-प्रश्नम्: your question
• युष्मत्-प्रश्नम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + प्रश्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘your question’

• असंशयम्: without doubt; certainly
• असंशयम्: Karma (Object complement/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: असंशय (प्रातिपदिक; a- + संशय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• कथयिष्यामि: I will tell
• कथयिष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथय् (धातु; णिच्)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम

• चेत्: if
• चेत्: Sambandha (Logical connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चेत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्तार्थक (if)

• गुह्यम्: the secret (matter)
• गुह्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुह्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; ‘secret (matter)’

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; ‘that’

• वदध्वम्: you all speak/tell
• वदध्वम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम

• गप्ल: (unclear word: gapla)
• गप्ल: Sambodhana/Unknown
• Type: Noun
• Root: गप्ल (प्रातिपदिक; पाठभेद/अस्पष्ट)
• Form: अव्यक्त-पाठः; सम्भाव्यं सम्बोधन-एकवचन (8th) अथवा विशेषणम्; अर्थ/रूपं अनिश्चितम्

• ज्वराः: fevers; ailments
• ज्वराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन

Speaker

King

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas (viprāḥ)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king responds firmly yet respectfully, inviting the brāhmaṇas to state their doubt-free question; his posture is upright, signaling readiness to disclose a ‘guhya’ teaching.

Characters & Entities

• King
• Brāhmaṇas (Viprāḥ)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual teaching requires clarity: doubts should be articulated precisely so instruction can be given responsibly.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this verse; it is part of the dialogic setup in Tīrthamāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it concerns the method of inquiry. Note: the phrase “gapla jvarāḥ” appears corrupt/unclear in the provided reading.