Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

ब्राह्म्यं तेजो न क्षा त्त्रेण तेजसा संप्रणश्यति । एवं ज्ञात्वा चतुर्वक्त्र यद्युक्तं तत्समाचर

Transliteration

brāhmyaṃ tejo na kṣā ttreṇa tejasā saṃpraṇaśyati | evaṃ jñātvā caturvaktra yadyuktaṃ tatsamācara

Translation

รัศมีแห่งพราหมณ์มิได้พินาศด้วยเดชแห่งกษัตริย์ เมื่อรู้ดังนี้แล้ว โอ้ผู้มีสี่พักตร์ (พระพรหม) จงกระทำสิ่งที่สมควรเถิด

Word by Word

• ब्राह्म्यम्: brahminical
• ब्राह्म्यम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्राह्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying तेजः)

• तेजः: splendor, spiritual power
• तेजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

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

• क्षात्रेण: by kṣatriya (power)
• क्षात्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• तेजसा: by splendor/power
• तेजसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• संप्रणश्यति: perishes, is destroyed
• संप्रणश्यति: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-नश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; उपसर्ग: सम्+प्र

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb)

• ज्ञात्वा: having known
• ज्ञात्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive)

• चतुर्वक्त्र: O four-faced (Brahmā)
• चतुर्वक्त्र: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर् (संख्या) + वक्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि (यस्यानि चत्वारि वक्त्राणि सः)

• यत्: whatever
• यत्: Karma (Object of implied 'be'/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative)

• युक्तम्: proper, appropriate
• युक्तम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युक्त (कृदन्त; √युज्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; विधेय-विशेषण (predicate)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• समाचर: do, carry out
• समाचर: Kriya (Command/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-चर् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; उपसर्ग: सम्+आ

Speaker

Vasiṣṭha

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brahmā

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vasiṣṭha delivers a calm maxim to Brahmā: brahminical radiance is indestructible by kṣatriya power; Brahmā listens, weighing what is proper.

Characters & Entities

• Vasiṣṭha
• Brahmā (Caturvaktra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Inner spiritual power born of tapas and dharma is portrayed as superior to mere force or weaponry.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching is embedded in the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra māhātmya narrative frame of the Nāgara-khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed; the verse advises acting according to what is “yukta” (proper dharma).