Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

नरके पतनं तस्य याव दिंद्राश्चतुर्दश । अतस्तु सर्वदा देयं नरैर्यत्तु प्रतिश्रुतम्

Transliteration

narake patanaṃ tasya yāva diṃdrāścaturdaśa | atastu sarvadā deyaṃ narairyattu pratiśrutam

Translation

ତାହାର ନରକପତନ ଚତୁର୍ଦ୍ଦଶ ଇନ୍ଦ୍ରମାନଙ୍କ ଯାଏଁ ଅବଧି ପର୍ଯ୍ୟନ୍ତ ହୁଏ; ତେଣୁ ଲୋକେ ଯାହା ପ୍ରତିଶ୍ରୁତ କରିଛନ୍ତି, ତାହା ସର୍ବଦା ଦେବା ଉଚିତ।

Word by Word

• नरके: in hell
• नरके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: naraka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• पतनम्: falling, downfall
• पतनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: patana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक (Masc/Neut), षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• यावत्: for as long as
• यावत्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yāvat (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभावार्थ)
• Form: अवधि (duration: for as long as)

• इन्द्राः: Indras
• इन्द्राः: Pramana (Measure/प्रमाण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: indra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• चतुर्दश: fourteen
• चतुर्दश: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: caturdaśa (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्या (numeral), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचनार्थे (qualifying plural)

• अतः: therefore
• अतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: therefore/from this)

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• सर्वदा: always
• सर्वदा: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sarvadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• देयम्: should be given
• देयम्: Vidhi (Obligation/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √dā (धातु) + ṇyat (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृत्य (gerundive: to be given), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular)

• नरैः: by men
• नरैः: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• यत्: that which
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• प्रतिश्रुतम्: the promised (thing)
• प्रतिश्रुतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prati-√śru (धातु) + ta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle used substantively), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narrative style)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cautionary tableau: a man reneges on a promised gift; Yama’s messengers appear, with a contrasting scene of fulfilled promise leading to light and honor.

Characters & Entities

• Naraka
• Caturdaśa Indrāḥ (fourteen Indras)
• Pratiśruti
• Dāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Breaking a pledged gift is a grave adharma with severe consequences; one must honor one’s promise.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular site is named; the verse supports tīrtha-dharma by insisting on truthful, fulfilled giving.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Always give what has been promised (pratiśruta), rather than retracting or delaying it.