Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 68

Devanagari script

राजोवाच । यदि ज्ञास्यामि विप्रेंद्राः कथयिष्याम्यसंशयम् । देवस्याग्रे च संपृष्टः सत्येनात्मानमालभे

Transliteration

rājovāca | yadi jñāsyāmi vipreṃdrāḥ kathayiṣyāmyasaṃśayam | devasyāgre ca saṃpṛṣṭaḥ satyenātmānamālabhe

Translation

രാജാവ് പറഞ്ഞു—ഹേ വിപ്രേന്ദ്രന്മാരേ, എനിക്ക് അറിയുമെങ്കിൽ ഞാൻ സംശയമില്ലാതെ പറയും. ദേവന്റെ സന്നിധിയിൽ ചോദിക്കപ്പെടുമ്പോൾ ഞാൻ സത്യത്താൽ തന്നെ ബന്ധിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• rājā: the king
• rājā: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/nominative), एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Speech-act/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्शभूत/perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• yadi: if
• yadi: Sambandha (Condition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (शर्त) = conditional particle

• jñāsyāmi: I shall know
• jñāsyāmi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jñā (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (भविष्यत्/future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• vipra-indrāḥ: O best of Brahmins
• vipra-indrāḥ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra + indra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/vocative), बहुवचन; समास: विप्र + इन्द्र (तत्पुरुष)

• kathayiṣyāmi: I shall narrate
• kathayiṣyāmi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kathaya (नामधातु from kathā)
• Form: लृट् (भविष्यत्/future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• asaṃśayam: without doubt
• asaṃśayam: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: asaṃśaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण अव्ययप्रयोगः; अर्थे: निःसन्देहम् (without doubt)

• devasya: of the god
• devasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/genitive), एकवचन

• agre: in front
• agre: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: agra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/locative), एकवचन; अर्थे: पुरतः (in front)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय) = conjunction

• saṃpṛṣṭaḥ: when questioned
• saṃpṛṣṭaḥ: Hetu/Condition (Circumstance/हेतु)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saṃ-pṛcch (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; अर्थे: ‘having been questioned’

• satyena: with truth
• satyena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: satya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/instrumental), एकवचन

• ātmānam: myself
• ātmānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), एकवचन

• ālabhe: I affirm/pledge
• ālabhe: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-labh (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान/present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; अर्थे: स्पृशे/आलभे (I touch/undertake; here: I pledge/affirm)

Speaker

King Bṛhatsena

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king responds with composed gravity, right hand raised in oath-like gesture, facing the sanctum; sages listen attentively, the deity’s presence implied by lamp-lit doorway.

Characters & Entities

• Bṛhatsena
• Viprendra (brāhmaṇas)
• Deva (Śiva, by liṅga context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In the deity’s presence, speech becomes a vow; committing to satya is itself a form of dharma and worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A Śiva-liṅga shrine within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s tīrtha cycle; the location name is not stated in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A satya-saṅkalpa (truth pledge) made before the deity; the verse frames truthful testimony as sacred duty.