Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

शृणु वाक्यं ममाद्य त्वं यथार्थं वदतो नृप । सुकृतेन शपे चाहं सुयोधन महामते

Transliteration

śṛṇu vākyaṃ mamādya tvaṃ yathārthaṃ vadato nṛpa | sukṛtena śape cāhaṃ suyodhana mahāmate

Translation

ข้าแต่พระราชา ขอจงฟังวาจาจริงของข้าในวันนี้ ข้าแต่สุโยธน์ผู้มีปัญญา ข้าขอสาบานด้วยบุญกุศลของข้า

Word by Word

• शृणु: hear, listen
• शृणु: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular); परस्मैपद

• वाक्यम्: statement, words
• वाक्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• अद्य: today, now
• अद्य: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

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

• यथार्थम्: truthfully, as it is
• यथार्थम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथार्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverbial usage: ‘truly/accurately’)

• वदतः: of (me) speaking
• वदतः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• नृप: O king
• नृप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• सुकृतेन: by (my) merit, by good deed
• सुकृतेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुकृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• शपे: I swear
• शपे: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (Singular); परस्मैपद

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• सुयोधन: O Suyodhana (Duryodhana)
• सुयोधन: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुयोधन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• महामते: O great-minded one
• महामते: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महामति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular); समास: महा + मति (great + minded)

Speaker

Aśvatthāmā (Drauṇi)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Duryodhana (Suyodhana)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Night-camp council: Aśvatthāmā addressing Duryodhana with a solemn oath, torchlight flickering over armor and banners; tense faces, heavy shadows.

Characters & Entities

• Suyodhana (Duryodhana)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Truthful speech and accountability are emphasized—one should speak yathārtha (as it is) and understand the moral weight of vows.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is directly praised in this verse; it occurs within the Setukhaṇḍa’s broader sacred-geography setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse centers on a solemn oath sworn “by merit (sukṛta/puṇya).”