Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 85

Devanagari script

एकमप्यक्षरं यस्तु गुरुः शिष्ये निवेदयेत् । पृथिव्यां नास्ति तद्द्रव्यं यद्दत्त्वा चानृणी भवेत्

Transliteration

ekamapyakṣaraṃ yastu guruḥ śiṣye nivedayet | pṛthivyāṃ nāsti taddravyaṃ yaddattvā cānṛṇī bhavet

Translation

แม้คุรุจะสอนศิษย์เพียงอักษรเดียว ก็ไม่มีทรัพย์ใดบนแผ่นดินที่ให้แล้วจะปลดเปลื้องหนี้พระคุณนั้นได้

Word by Word

• एकम्: one
• एकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचनम्; अक्षरम् इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपातः (particle); अपि = even/also

• अक्षरम्: a syllable/letter
• अक्षरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अक्षर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचनम्

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचनम्; सम्बन्धबोधकः (relative pronoun)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपातः (particle)

• गुरुः: teacher
• गुरुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचनम्

• शिष्ये: in/unto a disciple
• शिष्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचनम्; अधिकरणे (locative)

• निवेदयेत्: should impart/teach
• निवेदयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + विद् (धातु) (निवेदयति)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• पृथिव्याम्: on earth
• पृथिव्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचनम्

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपातः (negation)

• अस्ति: is/exists
• अस्ति: Kriya (Existence/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचनम्; द्रव्यम् इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

• द्रव्यम्: wealth/thing (valuable)
• द्रव्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचनम्

• यत्: which
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचनम्; सम्बन्धबोधकः (relative)

• दत्त्वा: having given
• दत्त्वा: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्तः (absolutive); पूर्वक्रिया (having given)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपातः (conjunction)

• अनृणी: free from debt/obligation
• अनृणी: Kriya-visheshana (Predicate complement/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनृणिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचनम्; ‘भवेत्’ इत्यस्य विधेय-विशेषणम् (predicate adjective)

• भवेत्: would become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Śākalya (admonishing Yājñavalkya)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka et al. (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śākalya delivers a solemn maxim: the debt to a guru for even a single syllable cannot be repaid by any earthly gift; the court falls silent in recognition of the truth.

Characters & Entities

• Guru
• Śiṣya
• Akṣara (syllable)
• Ṛṇa (debt)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Knowledge is sacred; the debt owed to one’s teacher is immeasurable, calling for lifelong reverence, service, and humility.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular site is named; the verse delivers a dharma-teaching embedded within a tīrtha-māhātmya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite; it prescribes an ethical obligation—repaying the guru through conduct and service rather than material compensation.