Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

एकमप्यक्षरं यस्तु गुरुः शिष्ये निवेदयेत् । पृथिव्यां नास्ति तद्द्रव्यं यद्दत्त्वा ह्यनृणी भवेत्

Transliteration

ekamapyakṣaraṃ yastu guruḥ śiṣye nivedayet | pṛthivyāṃ nāsti taddravyaṃ yaddattvā hyanṛṇī bhavet

Translation

Ainda que um guru ensine ao discípulo apenas uma única sílaba, não há riqueza na terra que—mesmo sendo oferecida—torne alguém verdadeiramente livre dessa dívida.

Word by Word

• एकम्: one
• एकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषण (of अक्षरम्)

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निपात (particle)

• अक्षरम्: a syllable/letter
• अक्षरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अक्षर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (relative pronoun), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निपात (contrast/emphasis particle)

• गुरुः: teacher
• गुरुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• शिष्ये: to the disciple
• शिष्ये: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; अधिकरण (recipient locus; ‘to/for the disciple’ in sense)

• निवेदयेत्: should impart/teach
• निवेदयेत्: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि+विद् (धातु) (causative sense ‘to inform/teach’)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष? (actually 3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; causative/denominative usage ‘to impart’

• पृथिव्याम्: on earth
• पृथिव्याम्: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निषेध (negation particle)

• अस्ति: is/exists
• अस्ति: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• तत्: that
• तत्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (of द्रव्यम्)

• द्रव्यम्: wealth/thing (to give)
• द्रव्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• यत्: which
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (relative), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; ‘which’ referring to द्रव्यम्

• दत्त्वा: having given
• दत्त्वा: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु) → दत्त्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), ‘having given’

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निपात (emphasis/causal particle)

• अनृणी: free from debt/obligation
• अनृणी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनृणिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (predicate adjective)

• भवेत्: would become
• भवेत्: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Citreśvarīpīṭha-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Naimiṣāraṇya sages (frame; not explicit here)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A guru seated with a disciple; the guru gently utters a single syllable (akṣara) while pointing to a palm-leaf; the disciple offers heaps of coins and jewels, yet the guru’s calm gesture indicates the gift is beyond price—emphasizing humility over wealth.

Characters & Entities

• Guru
• Śiṣya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Knowledge received from a guru is priceless; gratitude and lifelong reverence are the proper response, beyond material repayment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse supports the māhātmya’s concluding dharma (how to honor transmission), rather than naming a distinct tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is mandated; the teaching underscores guru-veneration as a dharmic obligation beyond monetary compensation.