Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

तस्मात्सत्यं पुरस्कृत्य मां तारय महामते । एतत्ते परमं श्रेयस्तपसोऽपि भविष्यति

Transliteration

tasmātsatyaṃ puraskṛtya māṃ tāraya mahāmate | etatte paramaṃ śreyastapaso'pi bhaviṣyati

Translation

پس سچ کو پیشِ نظر رکھ کر، اے عالی ہمت، مجھے پار لگا دے۔ یہی تیرے لیے سب سے بڑا خیر ہے—تپسیا سے بھی بڑھ کر۔

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी-एकवचनरूपेण प्रयुक्तं अव्ययीभाववत् (ablatival adverb) ‘therefore/from that’

• सत्यम्: truth
• सत्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• पुरस्कृत्य: having honored / keeping foremost
• पुरस्कृत्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरस्-√कृ (धातु) + क्त्वा (अव्ययकृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive) ‘having placed in front/having honored’

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• तारय: save / ferry across
• तारय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तॄ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• महामते: O great-minded one
• महामते: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महामति (प्रातिपदिक; महा + मति)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/vocative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः ‘महान् मतिः यस्य’

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• ते: for you / your
• ते: Sampradana/Sambandha (Recipient/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-एकवचन (genitive/dative) ‘of/for you’

• परमम्: supreme
• परमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; श्रेयः इति विशेषण

• श्रेयः: highest good
• श्रेयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रेयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तपसः: of austerity
• तपसः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अतिशय-अव्यय (even/also)

• भविष्यति: will be
• भविष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (भविष्यत्/साधारण-भविष्यत्काल), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

Speaker

Kṛtaghna (the preta)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A tormented preta with a faint, smoky body folds hands before a noble king/sage; above them a bright banner reading ‘satya’ shines like a path, indicating rescue and upliftment.

Characters & Entities

• Vidūratha (addressed as mahāmate)
• Satya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Truth-centered compassionate action is praised as a supreme spiritual merit, surpassing even severe austerity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it prepares the king to undertake a site-specific liberating act.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A directive to perform the saving act grounded in satya; the concrete rite is described in subsequent verses.