Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 49

Devanagari script

स्ववाक्च्युताय निंद्याय न वाच्या योगजा कथा । नित्यभक्ताय दांताय शमादि गुणिने तथा

Transliteration

svavākcyutāya niṃdyāya na vācyā yogajā kathā | nityabhaktāya dāṃtāya śamādi guṇine tathā

Translation

جو اپنے قولِ صدق سے گر چکا ہو یا قابلِ ملامت ہو، اس کے سامنے یوگ سے پیدا ہونے والی بات نہ کہی جائے۔ مگر جو ہمیشہ کا بھکت، نفس پر قابو رکھنے والا اور شَم وغیرہ اوصاف سے آراستہ ہو، اسے یہ کَتھا سنانی چاہیے۔

Word by Word

• sva-vāk-cyutāya: to one who has fallen from his own word (untrue)
• sva-vāk-cyutāya: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + vāk (प्रातिपदिक) + cyuta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, √cyu)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (Masculine, dative singular; adjective)

• niṃdyāya: to the blameworthy
• niṃdyāya: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: niṃdya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (Masculine, dative singular; adjective)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negative particle)

• vācyā: to be spoken
• vācyā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vācya (प्रातिपदिक; √vac + य)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम् (Feminine, nominative singular; predicate adjective: 'to be spoken')

• yoga-jā: born of yoga, yogic
• yoga-jā: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yoga (प्रातिपदिक) + jā (प्रातिपदिक; √jan)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (Feminine, nominative singular; adjective)

• kathā: teaching, discourse
• kathā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kathā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन (Feminine, nominative singular)

• nitya-bhaktāya: to the ever-devoted
• nitya-bhaktāya: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nitya (प्रातिपदिक) + bhakta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (Masculine, dative singular; adjective)

• dāntāya: to the self-controlled
• dāntāya: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dānta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (Masculine, dative singular; adjective)

• śama-ādi: beginning with calmness (etc.)
• śama-ādi: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śama (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययपूर्वपद-समासः; 'शमादयः' इत्यर्थे (compound meaning 'beginning with calmness')

• guṇine: to the virtuous person
• guṇine: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guṇin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4), एकवचन (Masculine, dative singular)

• tathā: likewise, also
• tathā: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: likewise/also)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A guru in a tīrtha-āśrama instructs a calm, self-controlled devotee while turning away a quarrelsome, blameworthy listener; palm-leaf manuscript of yoga-kathā remains closed for the unfit.

Characters & Entities

• Yoga
• Bhakti
• Śama

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Yogic knowledge must be entrusted to truthful, devoted, self-controlled seekers who possess inner virtues like tranquility.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned; the verse focuses on the dharma of teaching and receiving sacred instruction.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No external rite; it prescribes ethical qualifications (truthfulness, devotion, restraint, śamādi-guṇas) for receiving instruction.