Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 68

Devanagari script

राजोवाच । यदि ज्ञास्यामि विप्रेंद्राः कथयिष्याम्यसंशयम् । देवस्याग्रे च संपृष्टः सत्येनात्मानमालभे

Transliteration

rājovāca | yadi jñāsyāmi vipreṃdrāḥ kathayiṣyāmyasaṃśayam | devasyāgre ca saṃpṛṣṭaḥ satyenātmānamālabhe

Translation

بادشاہ نے کہا: اے برہمنوں کے سردارو! اگر میں جانتا ہوں تو بے شک تمہیں بتاؤں گا۔ اور بھگوان کے حضور پوچھے جانے پر میں سچ کے عہد سے اپنے آپ کو باندھتا ہوں۔

Word by Word

• rājā: the king
• rājā: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/nominative), एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Speech-act/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्शभूत/perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• yadi: if
• yadi: Sambandha (Condition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (शर्त) = conditional particle

• jñāsyāmi: I shall know
• jñāsyāmi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jñā (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (भविष्यत्/future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• vipra-indrāḥ: O best of Brahmins
• vipra-indrāḥ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra + indra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/vocative), बहुवचन; समास: विप्र + इन्द्र (तत्पुरुष)

• kathayiṣyāmi: I shall narrate
• kathayiṣyāmi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kathaya (नामधातु from kathā)
• Form: लृट् (भविष्यत्/future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• asaṃśayam: without doubt
• asaṃśayam: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: asaṃśaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण अव्ययप्रयोगः; अर्थे: निःसन्देहम् (without doubt)

• devasya: of the god
• devasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/genitive), एकवचन

• agre: in front
• agre: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: agra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/locative), एकवचन; अर्थे: पुरतः (in front)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय) = conjunction

• saṃpṛṣṭaḥ: when questioned
• saṃpṛṣṭaḥ: Hetu/Condition (Circumstance/हेतु)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saṃ-pṛcch (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; अर्थे: ‘having been questioned’

• satyena: with truth
• satyena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: satya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/instrumental), एकवचन

• ātmānam: myself
• ātmānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), एकवचन

• ālabhe: I affirm/pledge
• ālabhe: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-labh (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान/present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; अर्थे: स्पृशे/आलभे (I touch/undertake; here: I pledge/affirm)

Speaker

King Bṛhatsena

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king responds with composed gravity, right hand raised in oath-like gesture, facing the sanctum; sages listen attentively, the deity’s presence implied by lamp-lit doorway.

Characters & Entities

• Bṛhatsena
• Viprendra (brāhmaṇas)
• Deva (Śiva, by liṅga context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In the deity’s presence, speech becomes a vow; committing to satya is itself a form of dharma and worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A Śiva-liṅga shrine within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s tīrtha cycle; the location name is not stated in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A satya-saṅkalpa (truth pledge) made before the deity; the verse frames truthful testimony as sacred duty.