Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मोवाच । विश्वामित्र मुनिश्रेष्ठ वसिष्ठं ब्राह्मणोत्तमम् । त्वं रक्ष मम वाक्येन तथा सर्वमिदं जगत्

Transliteration

brahmovāca | viśvāmitra muniśreṣṭha vasiṣṭhaṃ brāhmaṇottamam | tvaṃ rakṣa mama vākyena tathā sarvamidaṃ jagat

Translation

Brahmā disse: “Ó Viśvāmitra, o melhor entre os munis, protege Vasiṣṭha, o mais eminente dos brāhmaṇas; e, por minha ordem, protege também este mundo inteiro.”

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahmā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Speech act/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• विश्वामित्र: O Viśvāmitra
• विश्वामित्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśvāmitra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• मुनिश्रेष्ठ: O best of sages
• मुनिश्रेष्ठ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक) + śreṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (munīnām śreṣṭhaḥ)

• वसिष्ठम्: Vasiṣṭha
• वसिष्ठम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vasiṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• ब्राह्मणोत्तमम्: the best brāhmaṇa
• ब्राह्मणोत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier of object/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (uttamaḥ brāhmaṇaḥ) विशेषणम् वसिष्ठस्य

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• रक्ष: protect
• रक्ष: Kriya (Command/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• वाक्येन: by (my) word/command
• वाक्येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vākya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• तथा: thus, likewise
• तथा: Prakāra (Manner adjunct/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: thus/so)

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम-विशेषण

• जगत्: world
• जगत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jagat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

Speaker

Brahmā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Viśvāmitra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā issues a firm command to Viśvāmitra to protect Vasiṣṭha and the world; the scene balances authority and urgency, with sages and cosmic space as backdrop.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Viśvāmitra
• Vasiṣṭha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual power must serve protection, not destruction; obedience to cosmic authority sustains the world.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; the chapter context is tīrtha-related, but this line is doctrinal and narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a command (ājñā) to cease harm and uphold protection.