Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 49

Devanagari script

स्ववाक्च्युताय निंद्याय न वाच्या योगजा कथा । नित्यभक्ताय दांताय शमादि गुणिने तथा

Transliteration

svavākcyutāya niṃdyāya na vācyā yogajā kathā | nityabhaktāya dāṃtāya śamādi guṇine tathā

Translation

സ്വവാക്യത്തിൽ നിന്നു വീണവനോടും നിന്ദ്യനോടും യോഗജന്യകഥ പറയരുത്. എന്നാൽ നിത്യഭക്തനും ദാന്തനും ശമാദിഗുണസമ്പന്നനും ആയവനോട് പറയണം.

Word by Word

• sva-vāk-cyutāya: to one who has fallen from his own word (untrue)
• sva-vāk-cyutāya: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + vāk (प्रातिपदिक) + cyuta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, √cyu)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (Masculine, dative singular; adjective)

• niṃdyāya: to the blameworthy
• niṃdyāya: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: niṃdya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (Masculine, dative singular; adjective)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negative particle)

• vācyā: to be spoken
• vācyā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vācya (प्रातिपदिक; √vac + य)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम् (Feminine, nominative singular; predicate adjective: 'to be spoken')

• yoga-jā: born of yoga, yogic
• yoga-jā: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yoga (प्रातिपदिक) + jā (प्रातिपदिक; √jan)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (Feminine, nominative singular; adjective)

• kathā: teaching, discourse
• kathā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kathā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन (Feminine, nominative singular)

• nitya-bhaktāya: to the ever-devoted
• nitya-bhaktāya: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nitya (प्रातिपदिक) + bhakta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (Masculine, dative singular; adjective)

• dāntāya: to the self-controlled
• dāntāya: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dānta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (Masculine, dative singular; adjective)

• śama-ādi: beginning with calmness (etc.)
• śama-ādi: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śama (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययपूर्वपद-समासः; 'शमादयः' इत्यर्थे (compound meaning 'beginning with calmness')

• guṇine: to the virtuous person
• guṇine: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guṇin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4), एकवचन (Masculine, dative singular)

• tathā: likewise, also
• tathā: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: likewise/also)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A guru in a tīrtha-āśrama instructs a calm, self-controlled devotee while turning away a quarrelsome, blameworthy listener; palm-leaf manuscript of yoga-kathā remains closed for the unfit.

Characters & Entities

• Yoga
• Bhakti
• Śama

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Yogic knowledge must be entrusted to truthful, devoted, self-controlled seekers who possess inner virtues like tranquility.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned; the verse focuses on the dharma of teaching and receiving sacred instruction.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No external rite; it prescribes ethical qualifications (truthfulness, devotion, restraint, śamādi-guṇas) for receiving instruction.