Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

स याति नरकं घोरं त्यज्यते च गुणैर्द्रुतम् । तस्मादाज्ञापय क्षिप्रं मां मुने स्वगृहाय भोः

Transliteration

sa yāti narakaṃ ghoraṃ tyajyate ca guṇairdrutam | tasmādājñāpaya kṣipraṃ māṃ mune svagṛhāya bhoḥ

Translation

Sesiapa berbuat demikian akan jatuh ke neraka yang mengerikan dan segera ditinggalkan oleh kebajikan. Maka, wahai muni, perintahkan segera agar aku dibawa ke kediamanmu.

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nom./1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• याति: goes
• याति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद (Parasmaipada), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• नरकम्: to hell
• नरकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Acc./2nd), एकवचन

• घोरम्: terrible
• घोरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Acc./2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण to नरकम्

• त्यज्यते: is abandoned/rejected
• त्यज्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

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

• गुणैः: by virtues/qualities
• गुणैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन

• द्रुतम्: quickly
• द्रुतम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: द्रुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverbial use of neuter accusative)

• तस्मात्: therefore/from that
• तस्मात्: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी (Ablative/5th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• आज्ञापय: command/order
• आज्ञापय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन

• क्षिप्रम्: quickly
• क्षिप्रम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्षिप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (Acc./2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• मुने: O sage
• मुने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• स्वगृहाय: to (your) own house
• स्वगृहाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व + गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (Dative/4th), एकवचन; स्व=आत्मीय (one's own)

• भोः: O! (vocative particle)
• भोः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भोः (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बोधन-निपात (vocative particle)

Speaker

Viśvāmitra (contextual, addressing Vasiṣṭha)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king, anxious, speaks of dreadful hell and the slipping away of virtue, imploring the sage to allow entry and hospitality for himself and his men.

Characters & Entities

• Viśvāmitra
• Vasiṣṭha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Neglect of dharma leads to the loss of virtue and grave karmic consequences; prompt right action is urged.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse sits within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya frame, but this specific line emphasizes dharma in a narrative episode rather than naming a distinct tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed here; it is a moral injunction to act promptly and rightly.