Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

अयुक्तमेतद्भीष्माद्यैः प्रतिज्ञातं युधिष्ठिर । ततो जये च विजये निश्चयो हि मृषैव तत्

Transliteration

ayuktametadbhīṣmādyaiḥ pratijñātaṃ yudhiṣṭhira | tato jaye ca vijaye niścayo hi mṛṣaiva tat

Translation

ਹੇ ਯੁਧਿਸ਼ਠਿਰ, ਭੀਸ਼ਮ ਆਦਿਕਾਂ ਵੱਲੋਂ ਕੀਤੀ ਇਹ ਪ੍ਰਤਿਗਿਆ ਅਯੋਗ ਹੈ। ਇਸ ਲਈ ਜਿੱਤ ਜਾਂ ਹਾਰ ਬਾਰੇ ਜੋ ਨਿਸ਼ਚਯ ਕੀਤਾ ਜਾਵੇ, ਉਹ ਨਿਸ਼ਚਯ ਨਿਸ਼ਚਿਤ ਹੀ ਮਿਥਿਆ ਹੈ।

Word by Word

• अयुक्तम्: improper / unfitting
• अयुक्तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अयुक्त (प्रातिपदिक; युज्-धातु-निष्पन्न)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषण

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• भीष्माद्यैः: by Bhīṣma and others
• भीष्माद्यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीष्म + आदि (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; ‘भीष्म-आदि’ इति समासः (आदिशब्देन समाहारः)

• प्रतिज्ञातम्: promised
• प्रतिज्ञातम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति + ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: कृत-प्रत्ययान्त (क्त), भूतकर्मणि/कर्मणि-प्रयोग; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• युधिष्ठिर: O Yudhiṣṭhira
• युधिष्ठिर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन

• ततः: thereupon / therefore
• ततः: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय; तद्-तसिल्)
• Form: अव्यय, अपादान/क्रमबोधक (thereupon/therefrom)

• जये: in victory
• जये: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

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

• विजये: in defeat / in (counter-)victory
• विजये: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विजय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• निश्चयः: certainty / decision
• निश्चयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निश्चय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• मृषा: falsely
• मृषा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मृषा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• एव: only / indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (restrictive particle)

• तत्: that (claim)
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

Speaker

Phālguna (Arjuna)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Arjuna addresses Yudhiṣṭhira with calm firmness, indicating that Bhīṣma’s party’s pledge is improper and that certainty of victory/defeat is unreliable.

Characters & Entities

• Phālguna (Arjuna)
• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Bhīṣma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

No one can guarantee outcomes; dharma emphasizes right action and surrender of results rather than arrogant certainty.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a moral critique of rash vows about victory.