Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

केचिच्छंसन्ति संन्यासं नन्दभद्रो न मन्यते । यो हि संन्यस्य विषयान्मनसा गृह्यते पुनः

Transliteration

kecicchaṃsanti saṃnyāsaṃ nandabhadro na manyate | yo hi saṃnyasya viṣayānmanasā gṛhyate punaḥ

Translation

قومٌ يمدحون السَّنْياسا (الزهد والترك)، غير أنّ نندبهدر لا يراه صادقًا إذا كان المرء—بعد أن ترك موضوعات الحس—يعود فيقبض عليها في ذهنه من جديد.

Word by Word

• केचित्: some (people)
• केचित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1), बहुवचनार्थे; indefinite pronoun ‘some (people)’

• शंसन्ति: praise/commend
• शंसन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शंस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; present indicative active

• संन्यासम्: renunciation
• संन्यासम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संन्यास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2), एकवचन; accusative singular

• नन्दभद्रः: Nandabhadra
• नन्दभद्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नन्दभद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1), एकवचन; proper name; समासः—कर्मधारय (नन्दः + भद्रः)

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

• मन्यते: thinks/accepts
• मन्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; present indicative middle ‘thinks/considers’

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1), एकवचन; relative pronoun ‘who’

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात; emphatic/causal particle

• संन्यस्य: having renounced
• संन्यस्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम् + नि + अस् (धातु) → संन्यस्य (कृदन्त, ल्यप्)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त-अव्यय; absolutive (gerund) ‘having renounced’

• विषयान्: sense-objects
• विषयान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विषय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2), बहुवचन; accusative plural

• मनसा: by the mind
• मनसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3), एकवचन; instrumental singular

• गृह्यते: is grasped/accepted
• गृह्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/पुनरावृत्ति-अव्यय; adverb ‘again’

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating within Māheśvara-khaṇḍa context

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An ascetic with staff and ochre cloth stands outwardly detached, yet a faint thought-vision shows sense-objects (food, wealth, pleasure) clinging to his mind; Nandabhadra (teacher figure) gestures in admonition.

Characters & Entities

• Nandabhadra
• Saṃnyāsa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Renunciation is incomplete if the mind still clings to sense-objects; inner detachment is essential.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named; the teaching concerns inner discipline relevant to all sacred journeys.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No external rite is prescribed; the instruction is psychological-spiritual: abandon viṣayas in thought as well as action.