Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 97

Devanagari script

नारद उवाच । यद्यस्माकं भवान्भक्तस्तत्ते कार्यं च नो वचः

Transliteration

nārada uvāca | yadyasmākaṃ bhavānbhaktastatte kāryaṃ ca no vacaḥ

Translation

नारद उवाच—यदि भवानस्मासु भक्तः, तर्हि तव कार्यं नो वचः; अस्माकं वचनमेव ते कर्तव्यं भवतु॥

Word by Word

• नारदः: Narada
• नारदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बन्धबोधक-अव्यय (conditional particle)

• अस्माकम्: of us
• अस्माकम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Possessor/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• भवान्: you (hon.)
• भवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; आदरार्थ-प्रयोग (honorific)

• भक्तः: devoted
• भक्तः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भक्त (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-निष्पन्न विशेषण)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying) भवान्

• तत्: that
• तत्: Pratijna/Anuvada (That/तत्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; अन्वयात्—प्रथमा (predicate demonstrative)

• ते: for you
• ते: Sampradana (Beneficiary/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन (enclitic)

• कार्यम्: duty / what is to be done
• कार्यम्: Karta (Predicate noun/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• नः: our
• नः: Shashthi-sambandha (Possessor/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन (enclitic)

• वचः: word / instruction
• वचः: Karta (Predicate noun/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Nārada

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dharmavarmā (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nārada, calm and authoritative, raises a hand in instruction; the king listens attentively with folded hands, signaling readiness to obey.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Rājā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Bhakti is validated by conduct: devotion means aligning one’s actions with dharmic counsel and sacred instruction.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is referenced; the verse emphasizes the ethic of following saintly instruction.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the prescription is ethical—obedience to dharmic instruction (guru-vākya) as a form of practice.