Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

तथा तद्वचनं सत्यं वसिष्ठस्य व्यवस्थितम् । यत्तेनोक्तं न यज्ञेन सदेहैर्गम्यते दिवि

Transliteration

tathā tadvacanaṃ satyaṃ vasiṣṭhasya vyavasthitam | yattenoktaṃ na yajñena sadehairgamyate divi

Translation

അങ്ങനെ വസിഷ്ഠന്റെ ആ വചനം സത്യവും സ്ഥിരവുമാകും—അദ്ദേഹം പറഞ്ഞതുപോലെ യജ്ഞംകൊണ്ട് ദേഹത്തോടെയായി സ്വർഗ്ഗഗമനം സാധ്യമല്ല.

Word by Word

• तथा: thus
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (thus)

• तत्-वचनम्: that statement
• तत्-वचनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'तस्य वचनम्'); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन

• सत्यम्: true
• सत्यम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन; 'वचनम्' इति विशेषणम्

• वसिष्ठस्य: of Vasiṣṭha
• वसिष्ठस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• व्यवस्थितम्: established, fixed
• व्यवस्थितम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + अव + स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन; 'वचनम्' इति विशेषणम् (settled/established)

• यत्: that which
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-प्रत्यय (relative)

• तेन: by him/thereby
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• उक्तम्: said, spoken
• उक्तम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन; 'यत्' इति पदस्य विधेय

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध

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

• स-देहैः: with (their) bodies, bodily
• स-देहैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + देह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास (सह देहैः = with bodies); पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति; बहुवचन

• गम्यते: is reached, is attainable
• गम्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present); आत्मनेपद; प्रथम-पुरुष; एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive: 'is gone/reached')

• दिवि: in heaven
• दिवि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिव्/द्यौ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति; एकवचन (locative: in heaven)

Speaker

Triśaṅku (contextual deduction)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage pronounces a settled truth; the listener’s posture shifts from argument to acceptance. A faint sacrificial altar in the background contrasts with the forest path ahead.

Characters & Entities

• Vasiṣṭha
• Yajña
• Svarga (Divi/Triviṣṭapa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual power (yajña) has limits; higher attainments may require deeper transformation through tapas, grace, or exceptional divine/ṛṣi intervention.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific site is mentioned in this verse; it functions as doctrinal grounding within a tīrtha-māhātmya chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Yajña is referenced negatively (insufficient for embodied ascent); no positive prescription is given in this line.