Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 61

Devanagari script

जिह्वाग्रे परशुं तप्तं धारयामि न संशयः । अर्थवादमिमं सर्वं ब्रुवन्वै नारकी भवेत्

Transliteration

jihvāgre paraśuṃ taptaṃ dhārayāmi na saṃśayaḥ | arthavādamimaṃ sarvaṃ bruvanvai nārakī bhavet

Translation

ข้าพเจ้าจะยอมประคองขวานที่ร้อนแดงไว้บนปลายลิ้น—ปราศจากความสงสัย ผู้ใดกล่าวว่าสรรเสริญทั้งหมดนี้เป็นเพียงคำกล่าวเกินจริง ผู้นั้นย่อมเป็นผู้ควรแก่แดนนรก

Word by Word

• जिह्वा-अग्रे: on the tip of the tongue
• जिह्वा-अग्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जिह्वा (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (jihvāyāḥ agre = on the tip of the tongue)

• परशुम्: an axe
• परशुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परशु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• तप्तम्: heated, red-hot
• तप्तम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तप् (धातु) → तप्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (Past passive participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter) द्वितीया एकवचन; परशुम् इति विशेषणम्

• धारयामि: I hold/bear
• धारयामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• अर्थवादम्: a eulogistic/explanatory statement
• अर्थवादम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थवाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुषः (artha + vāda = statement/praise/explanatory assertion)

• इमम्: this
• इमम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; अर्थवादम् इति विशेषणम्

• सर्वम्: entirely, all
• सर्वम्: Karma (Extent/परिमाण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; (समस्तं) इति क्रियाविशेषणवत्—‘entirely’

• ब्रुवन्: speaking, uttering
• ब्रुवन्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु) → ब्रुवत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (Present active participle/शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग प्रथमा एकवचन; कर्तरि—‘speaking’

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Emphasis/निश्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• नारकी: a hell-dweller, one destined for hell
• नारकी: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारकिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

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

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; emphatic vow-like assertion within tīrtha-māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dhanuṣkoṭi

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijottamāḥ (addressed brāhmaṇas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A solemn narrator swears truth by an extreme vow—bearing a red-hot axe on the tongue—while warning that those who call the tirtha’s praise exaggeration fall to hell; the Setu seashore and pilgrimage atmosphere frame the admonition.

Characters & Entities

• Dhanuṣkoṭi

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The text enjoins reverent acceptance of tīrtha-māhātmya and warns against cynical dismissal of sacred testimony.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dhanuṣkoṭi Tīrtha (the preceding and following verses center on its māhātmya).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No new rite is prescribed here; it is a prohibition against disparaging the māhātmya as ‘mere praise’ (arthavāda).