Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 124

Devanagari script

यो ज्ञास्यति मम ज्येष्ठः सर्वशास्त्रविचक्षणः । तत्त्वमेनं समादाय मरणे कृतनिश्चयम्

Transliteration

yo jñāsyati mama jyeṣṭhaḥ sarvaśāstravicakṣaṇaḥ | tattvamenaṃ samādāya maraṇe kṛtaniścayam

Translation

พี่ใหญ่ของข้า ผู้รอบรู้และแยบคายในคัมภีร์ทั้งปวง ย่อมรู้ความจริงเกี่ยวกับเขาแน่นอน จงพาเขาไปกับเรา แม้เขาจะตั้งใจแน่วแน่ต่อความตายแล้วก็ตาม

Word by Word

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम

• jñāsyati: will know
• jñāsyati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √jñā (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• mama: my
• mama: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन

• jyeṣṭhaḥ: elder (son/brother)
• jyeṣṭhaḥ: Karta (Subject-apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jyeṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन; ‘मम’ इति सम्बन्धेन

• sarva-śāstra-vicakṣaṇaḥ: skilled in all scriptures
• sarva-śāstra-vicakṣaṇaḥ: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + śāstra (प्रातिपदिक) + vicakṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कर्मधारय/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषभाव: सर्वेषु शास्त्रेषु विचक्षणः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; jyeṣṭhaḥ इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

• tattvam: truth, reality
• tattvam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tattva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन

• enam: this one, him
• enam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन

• samādāya: having taken
• samādāya: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sam-ā-√dā (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund): having taken/accepted

• maraṇe: in death, regarding death
• maraṇe: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन

• kṛta-niścayam: one who has made a resolve (about death)
• kṛta-niścayam: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛta (√kṛ, क्त) + niścaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कर्मधारयभाव: कृतः निश्चयः यस्य/कृतनिश्चयः); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; enam इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

Baka

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kailāsa

Type: peak

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A distressed figure resolved on death is restrained by a companion who invokes an elder learned in all śāstras; the moment is intimate, ethical, and urgent—decision suspended in favor of truth-seeking.

Characters & Entities

• Baka
• Indradyumna (implied: 'enam')
• Ulūka (implied: 'my elder', clarified in next verse)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When one is trapped in despair, turning to a truly learned guide can reveal truth and reopen the way of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; the emphasis is on seeking higher guidance within the pilgrimage framework.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it advises taking the person to a wiser elder for discernment.