Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

काष्ठोपरि मया दत्ता तस्य वाक्यादसंशयम् । तस्मात्प्रेषय चान्यं त्वं गुरो शिष्यं विचक्षणम् । आनर्तं रंजयेद्यस्तु विवेकेन समन्वितम्

Transliteration

kāṣṭhopari mayā dattā tasya vākyādasaṃśayam | tasmātpreṣaya cānyaṃ tvaṃ guro śiṣyaṃ vicakṣaṇam | ānartaṃ raṃjayedyastu vivekena samanvitam

Translation

അവന്റെ വചനങ്ങളുടെ പ്രഭാവം കൊണ്ടു സംശയമില്ലാതെ എന്നെ വെറും കട്ടിലക്കഷ്ണത്തിന്മേൽ ഇരുത്തി. അതിനാൽ ഗുരുവിന്റെ മറ്റൊരു വിവേകസമ്പന്നനും വിവേചനശക്തിയുള്ളവനുമായ ശിഷ്യനെ അയയ്ക്കുക; അവൻ ആനർത്തരാജാവിനെ യഥാവിധി സന്തോഷിപ്പിച്ച് സന്മാർഗ്ഗത്തിൽ നയിക്കും.

Word by Word

• काष्ठ: on the wood
• काष्ठ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/locative), एकवचन (singular)

• उपरि: upon/on
• उपरि: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उपरि (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (prepositional adverb: upon)

• मया: by me
• मया: Kartr-karana (Agent in passive/कर्ता-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd/instrumental), एकवचन (singular)

• दत्ता: was given/placed
• दत्ता: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तस्य: of him/of that
• तस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th/genitive), एकवचन

• वाक्यात्: from (his) statement
• वाक्यात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source/हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/ablative), एकवचन

• असंशयम्: undoubtedly
• असंशयम्: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: असंशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण नपुंसक-द्वितीया-एकवचन (adverbial accusative)

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात्-इत्यव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः; हेत्वर्थे/तस्मादर्थे (therefore/from that)

• प्रेषय: send
• प्रेषय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + इष् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• अन्यम्: another
• अन्यम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

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

• गुरोः: of the teacher
• गुरोः: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/genitive), एकवचन

• शिष्यम्: disciple
• शिष्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• विचक्षणम्: discerning/wise
• विचक्षणम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विचक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying शिष्यम्)

• आनर्तम्: Ānarta (region/people)
• आनर्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आनर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (or देशवाचक-नपुंसक), द्वितीया, एकवचन

• रञ्जयेत्: should please/delight
• रञ्जयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रञ्ज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक-यः (relative pronoun)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक-अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

• विवेकेन: with discernment
• विवेकेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विवेक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• समन्वितम्: endowed (with)
• समन्वितम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + अन्वि (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle used adjectivally), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying शिष्यम्)

Speaker

Yājñavalkya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A tense courtly-ascetic exchange: a speaker recounts being made to sit/ride upon a mere plank of wood due to another’s words, urging the guru to send a more discerning disciple to guide and ‘satisfy’ the ruler of Anarta.

Characters & Entities

• Yājñavalkya
• guru
• śiṣya
• ānarta (king/ruler)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Discernment (viveka) and proper honor sustain dharma; when respect is absent, a wise alternative is chosen to preserve harmony and righteousness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse is narrative and does not name a specific tīrtha; it remains within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied: appoint a qualified, discerning officiant/agent (a wise śiṣya) for the intended śānti-related engagement with the king.