Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

तथापि न तवादेशो व्यर्थः कार्यः कथंचन । एतस्मात्कारणाद्देव याचयिष्यामि वांछितम्

Transliteration

tathāpi na tavādeśo vyarthaḥ kāryaḥ kathaṃcana | etasmātkāraṇāddeva yācayiṣyāmi vāṃchitam

Translation

ତଥାପି ଆପଣଙ୍କ ଆଦେଶ କେବେ ମଧ୍ୟ ବ୍ୟର୍ଥ ହେବା ଉଚିତ୍ ନୁହେଁ। ଏହି କାରଣରୁ, ହେ ଦେବ! ମୁଁ ମୋର ଇଚ୍ଛିତ ବର ଯାଚନା କରିବି।

Word by Word

• तथापि: nevertheless
• तथापि: Avyaya (Discourse marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा + अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्ययसमुच्चय (concessive: nevertheless)

• न: not
• न: Avyaya (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• आदेशः: command, instruction
• आदेशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• व्यर्थः: vain, futile
• व्यर्थः: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्यर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (आदेशः)

• कार्यः: to be carried out
• कार्यः: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक; कृ धातोः यत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (आदेशः) = ‘to be done’

• कथंचन: in any way (at all)
• कथंचन: Avyaya (Adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् + चन (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात-समासार्थ (in any way/at all)

• एतस्मात्: from this
• एतस्मात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• कारणात्: because of the reason
• कारणात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• देव: O god/lord
• देव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• याचयिष्यामि: I will request
• याचयिष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: याच् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• वाञ्छितम्: the desired (boon/thing)
• वाञ्छितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाञ्छित (प्रातिपदिक; वाञ्छ् धातोः क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘याचयिष्यामि’ इत्यस्य कर्म

Speaker

Harīścandra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Harīścandra, still in folded-hands posture, slightly raises his head with firm resolve, indicating he will request a boon so the deity’s command bears fruit; attendants watch quietly.

Characters & Entities

• Harīścandra
• Śiva (Deva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

One should honor divine instruction and not treat sacred encounters as casual; devotion includes responsiveness to the deity’s guidance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader setting is a Nāgara-khaṇḍa tīrtha-māhātmya scene; this verse itself does not identify the site by name.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; the act is yācñā/prārthanā—requesting a boon in a dharmic manner.