Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

न त्वया पुत्र द्रष्टव्यं किंचिदेव कथंचन । प्रमाणं यदि ते धर्मो मातृवाक्यसमुद्भवः

Transliteration

na tvayā putra draṣṭavyaṃ kiṃcideva kathaṃcana | pramāṇaṃ yadi te dharmo mātṛvākyasamudbhavaḥ

Translation

ହେ ପୁତ୍ର, କୌଣସି ପ୍ରକାରେ ମଧ୍ୟ ତୁମେ କିଛି ମଧ୍ୟ ଦେଖିବା ଉଚିତ୍ ନୁହେଁ—ଯଦି ତୁମ ପାଇଁ ଧର୍ମ ମାତୃବାକ୍ୟରୁ ଉଦ୍ଭୂତ ପ୍ରମାଣ ହୁଏ।

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• tvayā: by you
• tvayā: Kartr̥ (Agent; in gerundive construction)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuṣmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• putra: O son
• putra: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: putra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• draṣṭavyam: to be seen / should be seen
• draṣṭavyam: Kriya (Obligation predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dṛś (दृश् धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive/obligatory), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्तरि-योग्यता/निषेध (should be seen)

• kiṃcit: anything
• kiṃcit: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; अनिश्चित-सर्वनाम (something/anything)

• eva: at all/indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय

• kathaṃcana: in any manner
• kathaṃcana: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kathaṃcana (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: in any way/ever)

• pramāṇam: authority, standard
• pramāṇam: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pramāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• yadi: if
• yadi: Sambandha (Condition)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक-अव्यय (conditional ‘if’)

• te: your
• te: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuṣmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध) एकवचन (or चतुर्थी as ‘for you’; here genitive ‘your’)

• dharmaḥ: duty, dharma
• dharmaḥ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• mātṛ-vākya-samudbhavaḥ: arisen from mother’s words
• mātṛ-vākya-samudbhavaḥ: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mātṛ (प्रातिपदिक) + vākya (प्रातिपदिक) + samudbhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मातुः वाक्यात् समुद्भवः = ‘arisen from mother’s word’)

Speaker

Śani (quoting his mother’s instruction)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: bhūpāla (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A mother issues a firm, compassionate command to her son: do not look at anything; the son listens with humility, the scene radiating disciplined calm.

Characters & Entities

• Śani

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma can be grounded in obedient discipline; honoring righteous instruction prevents harm and preserves order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the verse emphasizes ethical restraint within the Mahātmya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; it is an injunction (niyama) of restraint.