Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

यः शिष्यो गुरुवाक्यं तु न करोति यथोदितम् । तस्य व्रतं च तद्व्यर्थं नरकं च ततः परम्

Transliteration

yaḥ śiṣyo guruvākyaṃ tu na karoti yathoditam | tasya vrataṃ ca tadvyarthaṃ narakaṃ ca tataḥ param

Translation

గురువు చెప్పినట్లుగా ఆజ్ఞను ఆచరించని శిష్యుని వ్రతం వ్యర్థమవుతుంది; అనంతరం అతడు నరకాన్ని పొందుతాడు.

Word by Word

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

• शिष्यः: a disciple
• शिष्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन (singular); यः-सम्बन्धि (apposition to ‘यः’)

• गुरु-वाक्यम्: the teacher’s instruction
• गुरु-वाक्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक) + वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन (singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (guru’s word)

• तु: but
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable), निपात (contrast/emphasis)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (निषेध-अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable), निषेध (negation)

• करोति: does
• करोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular), परस्मैपद

• यथा: as
• यथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable), उपमान/प्रकारवाचक (manner: ‘as’)

• उदितम्: spoken / prescribed
• उदितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उद् + वद्/वच् (धातु) + क्त → उदित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन (singular); ‘गुरुवाक्यम्’ इति विशेषणम् (qualifies ‘instruction’)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), पुंलिङ्ग (masculine/any), षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन (singular)

• व्रतम्: vow
• व्रतम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन (singular)

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

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun) used adjectivally, नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन (singular); ‘व्रतम्’ इति विशेषणम्

• व्यर्थम्: fruitless
• व्यर्थम्: Karta (Predicate/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्यर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन (singular); विधेय-विशेषण (predicate)

• नरकम्: hell
• नरकम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन (singular)

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

• ततः: thereafter / from that
• ततः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable), तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb: ‘thereafter/from that’)

• परम्: next / following
• परम्: Karta (Predicate/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन (singular); ‘नरकम्’ इति विशेषणम् (as predicate: ‘is next’)

Speaker

Narrator/teacher voice (general rule stated as dharma-vidhi)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stern guru instructs; the negligent disciple stands with lowered head as the imagery of a dark naraka looms in the background, contrasting with the bright path of vrata when guided by obedience.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Vows and practices gain validity through disciplined obedience to rightful instruction; rejecting the guru’s word destroys the spiritual fruit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it functions as a universal dharma principle within a tīrtha-māhātmya chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The prescription is ethical-disciplinary: follow the guru’s instructions exactly; otherwise one’s vrata is declared ineffective and spiritually dangerous.