Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

एतन्महाव्रतं रूपमाख्यातं ते त्रिलोचन । नैवं च मखकर्म स्यात्तत्रैव च न युज्यते

Transliteration

etanmahāvrataṃ rūpamākhyātaṃ te trilocana | naivaṃ ca makhakarma syāttatraiva ca na yujyate

Translation

ఓ త్రిలోచనా, ఈ ‘మహావ్రత’ రూపాన్ని నీవు నాకు ప్రకటించితివి. కాని ఈ విధంగా మఖకర్మ (యజ్ఞక్రియ) సాగదు; అక్కడి యజ్ఞవిధానంలో ఇది యుక్తం కాదు.

Word by Word

• etat: this
• etat: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; निर्देश ("this")

• mahā-vratam: great vow
• mahā-vratam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + vrata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः—महच्च तत् व्रतम्

• rūpam: form
• rūpam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• ākhyātam: has been declared
• ākhyātam: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ākhyāta (कृदन्त; ā-√khyā कथने/प्रख्याने)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि—"has been declared"

• te: to you
• te: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी (4th), एकवचन (dat. sg.)

• trilocana: O three-eyed one
• trilocana: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tri (संख्या) + locana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (Voc.), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—त्रीणि लोचनानि यस्य (epithet of Śiva)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध

• evam: thus
• evam: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (thus)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• makha-karmā: sacrificial act
• makha-karmā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: makha (प्रातिपदिक) + karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; मखस्य कर्म (gen.-tatpuruṣa)

• syāt: would be / should be
• syāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (धातु; अस्तित्वे)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (there)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध

• yujyate: is appropriate, fits
• yujyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √yuj (धातु; योजने)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः ("is fitting/appropriate")

Speaker

Brahmā (continuing from prior verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śiva (Trilocana)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā respectfully questions the Three-eyed Lord: the Mahāvrata form has been revealed, yet it seems not to fit within the sacrificial procedure; the scene carries thoughtful tension amid the ritual setting.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Śiva (Trilocana)
• Mahāvrata
• Makha (yajña)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even exalted vows and powerful forms must be applied in the right context; dharma is contextual appropriateness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not named in this verse; it serves the chapter’s tīrtha-māhātmya by clarifying correct religious conduct around sacred acts.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A caution: the yajña’s procedure (makha-karma) should not be altered into an unfitting mode, even for a vowed form.