Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

त्वं च विष्णो तया प्रोक्तो मर्त्यजन्म यदाऽप्स्यसि । तत्रापि परभृत्यत्वं परेषां ते भविष्यति

Transliteration

tvaṃ ca viṣṇo tayā prokto martyajanma yadā'psyasi | tatrāpi parabhṛtyatvaṃ pareṣāṃ te bhaviṣyati

Translation

ହେ ବିଷ୍ଣୁ! ସେ କହିଛି—ତୁମେ ଯେତେବେଳେ ମର୍ତ୍ୟଜନ୍ମ ପାଇବ, ସେଠାରେ ମଧ୍ୟ ତୁମର ପରଙ୍କ ସେବକତ୍ୱ ହେବ।

Word by Word

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; पुरुष-सर्वनाम

• च: and
• च: Avyaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात

• विष्णो: O Viṣṇu
• विष्णो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

• तया: by her
• तया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• प्रोक्तः: was told/declared
• प्रोक्तः: Karma (Predicate/कर्म-भावः)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रोक्त (कृदन्त; √वच् (धातु) + प्र-; क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त

• मर्त्यजन्म: mortal birth
• मर्त्यजन्म: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक) + जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (मर्त्यस्य जन्म)

• यदा: when
• यदा: Avyaya (Temporal/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (relative adverb: when)

• अप्स्यसि: you will obtain
• अप्स्यसि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √आप् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Avyaya (Locative/देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Avyaya (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (also/even)

• परभृत्यत्वम्: servitude to others
• परभृत्यत्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक) + भृत्यत्व (प्रातिपदिक; भृत्य + त्व)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (परस्य भृत्यत्वम्)

• परेषाम्: of others
• परेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• ते: for you / to you
• ते: Sampradana (Dative/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी (4th), एकवचन (ते = तुभ्यम्/तव सन्दर्भे); सर्वनाम

• भविष्यति: will be
• भविष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Narratorial voice within Tīrthamāhātmya (speaker not explicit in the excerpt)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Viṣṇu

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A prophetic declaration addressed to Viṣṇu: he will be born as a mortal and serve another; Viṣṇu stands serene, accepting destiny; the speaker (a Devī/authority) gestures in blessing and decree.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the Supreme sustains dharma through humility—accepting service as part of divine līlā to uplift the world.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it continues a narrative embedded within the Tīrthamāhātmya chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it is a prophetic/narrative statement emphasizing dharmic service.