Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

अद्यैतत्कर्म कर्तुं च श्रुतिबाह्यं कथंचन । तव वाक्यमपि त्र्यक्ष नान्यथा कर्तुमु त्सहे

Transliteration

adyaitatkarma kartuṃ ca śrutibāhyaṃ kathaṃcana | tava vākyamapi tryakṣa nānyathā kartumu tsahe

Translation

Nếu làm việc này ngay hôm nay, dẫu thế nào cũng sẽ vượt ngoài khuôn phép của thánh điển Veda (śruti). Nhưng, hỡi Đấng Ba Mắt, con không dám làm khác lời Ngài truyền.

Word by Word

• अद्य: today/now
• अद्य: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time adjunct/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb: today/now)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषण (neuter, accusative singular; demonstrative adjective)

• कर्म: act/rite
• कर्म: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन (neuter, accusative singular)

• कर्तुम्: to do
• कर्तुम्: Prayojana/Artha (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (infinitive), ‘to do’

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

• श्रुति-बाह्यम्: outside the Veda/contrary to śruti
• श्रुति-बाह्यम्: Karma (Object complement/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रुति (प्रातिपदिक) + बाह्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (श्रुतेः बाह्यः); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (neuter, accusative singular)

• कथंचन: in any way
• कथंचन: Prakāra-adhikaraṇa (Manner adjunct/प्रकाराधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथंचन (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: in any way/somehow)

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन (genitive singular: of you)

• वाक्यम्: statement/command
• वाक्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अत्र कर्मरूपे (neuter, accusative singular as object)

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Emphasis/निपातार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: even/also)

• त्र्यक्ष: O three-eyed one
• त्र्यक्ष: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि (संख्या) + अक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि (त्रीणि अक्षीणि यस्य); पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन (vocative singular)

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

• अन्यथा: otherwise
• अन्यथा: Prakāra-adhikaraṇa (Manner adjunct/प्रकाराधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: otherwise)

• कर्तुम्: to do
• कर्तुम्: Prayojana/Artha (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (infinitive)

• उत्सहे: I am able/dare
• उत्सहे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उत्सह् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (present indicative, 1st person singular)

Speaker

Brahmā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kapāleśvara-kṣetra (implied)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee-priest, conflicted about Vedic propriety, stands before the Three-eyed Śiva, hands folded, voicing that the act seems outside śruti yet he will not transgress Śiva’s command.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Śiva (Tryakṣa/Trilocana)
• Śruti

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma balances śruti-based norms with divine instruction; humility before the Supreme is central.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is named in this verse; the teaching undergirds tīrtha narratives by emphasizing rightful authority and intention in worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An acknowledgement that an act may be śruti-external, yet the speaker resolves to follow Śiva’s directive rather than innovate independently.