Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

अग्निरुवाच । नैष दोषो मम ब्रह्मन्यन्न दग्धा तव प्रिया । कृतागसाऽपि मे वाक्यं शृणुष्वात्र स्फुटेरितम्

Transliteration

agniruvāca | naiṣa doṣo mama brahmanyanna dagdhā tava priyā | kṛtāgasā'pi me vākyaṃ śṛṇuṣvātra sphuṭeritam

Translation

Agni nói: “Hỡi bà-la-môn, việc người yêu của ông không bị thiêu không phải lỗi của ta. Dẫu nàng có phạm tội, xin hãy nghe lời ta nơi đây, ta sẽ nói rõ ràng.”

Word by Word

• agniḥ: Fire
• agniḥ: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: agni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; Masculine nominative singular

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (Speech-act/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; Perfect, 3rd person singular

• na: not
• na: Avyaya (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• eṣaḥ: this
• eṣaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; Pronoun masculine nominative singular

• doṣaḥ: fault
• doṣaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: doṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; Masculine nominative singular

• mama: of me
• mama: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन; Genitive singular

• brahman: O Brahmin
• brahman: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन विभक्ति, एकवचन; Vocative singular

• yat: that (fact)
• yat: Karta (Subject of implied clause/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; Relative pronoun neuter singular (that which)

• na: not
• na: Avyaya (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• dagdhā: burnt
• dagdhā: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dah (धातु) + kta (कृत्)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (भूतकर्मणि), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; Past passive participle used predicatively (was burnt)

• tava: your
• tava: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन; Genitive singular

• priyā: beloved wife
• priyā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: priyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; Feminine nominative singular

• kṛta-āgasā: even by a sinner
• kṛta-āgasā: Karana (Concession/करण-अपवाद)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛta (√kṛ + kta) + āgas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; Feminine instrumental singular (even by one who has committed sin)

• api: even
• api: Avyaya (Emphasis/सम्भावना)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-अव्यय (even/also)

• me: my
• me: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी/चतुर्थी विभक्ति, एकवचन; Genitive/Dative singular (my/to me) — here genitive

• vākyam: statement
• vākyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vākya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; Neuter accusative singular

• śṛṇuṣva: listen
• śṛṇuṣva: Kriyā (Command/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śru (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; Imperative, 2nd person singular (listen)

• atra: here
• atra: Avyaya (Place/देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (here)

• sphuṭa-īritam: clearly uttered
• sphuṭa-īritam: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sphuṭa (प्रातिपदिक) + īrita (√īr + kta)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; Neuter accusative singular qualifying vākyam

Speaker

Agni

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇa (addressed as ‘brahman’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Agni speaks calmly with hands still in reverence, asserting innocence of fault and inviting the brāhmaṇa to hear a clear explanation; flames steady, expression composed.

Characters & Entities

• Agni

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine forces operate by dharma and cosmic law; they are not instruments for personal rage, and truth is to be heard with clarity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; Agni prepares to explain a principle rather than prescribe a rite.