Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 119

Devanagari script

निवृत्तः सर्वतत्त्वज्ञः कामक्रोधविवर्जितः । ध्यानस्थानिष्क्रियो दांतस्तुल्यमृत्कांचनो मुनिः

Transliteration

nivṛttaḥ sarvatattvajñaḥ kāmakrodhavivarjitaḥ | dhyānasthāniṣkriyo dāṃtastulyamṛtkāṃcano muniḥ

Translation

منصرفٌ عن شواغل الدنيا، عارفٌ بحقيقة جميع المبادئ (التتڤا)، منزَّهٌ عن الشهوة والغضب؛ مقيمٌ في التأمل، لا فعلَ له، منضبط—يرى الطينَ والذهبَ سواء—فذلك هو المُوني (muni) الحكيم الصامت.

Word by Word

• nivṛttaḥ: withdrawn, detached
• nivṛttaḥ: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nivṛtta (प्रातिपदिक; √vṛt-वृत्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त—‘निवृत्तः’ (withdrawn/ceased)

• sarva-tattva-jñaḥ: knower of all truths
• sarva-tattva-jñaḥ: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + tattva (प्रातिपदिक) + jña (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—‘सर्वेषां तत्त्वानां ज्ञः’ (knower of all principles)

• kāma-krodha-vivarjitaḥ: free from lust and anger
• kāma-krodha-vivarjitaḥ: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kāma (प्रातिपदिक) + krodha (प्रातिपदिक) + vivarjita (प्रातिपदिक; √vṛj/varj-वर्ज्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—‘कामक्रोधाभ्यां विवर्जितः’ (free from desire and anger)

• dhyāna-sthāniṣkriyaḥ: motionless in meditation
• dhyāna-sthāniṣkriyaḥ: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dhyāna (प्रातिपदिक) + sthāna (प्रातिपदिक) + niṣkriya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—‘ध्यानस्थाने निष्क्रियः’ (inactive/steadied in the state of meditation)

• dāntaḥ: self-restrained
• dāntaḥ: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dānta (प्रातिपदिक; √dam-दम्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त—‘दमितः’ (self-controlled)

• tulya-mṛt-kāñcanaḥ: seeing clay and gold as equal
• tulya-mṛt-kāñcanaḥ: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tulya (प्रातिपदिक) + mṛt (प्रातिपदिक) + kāñcana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—‘मृदः काञ्चनस्य च तुल्यः’ (equal-minded toward clay and gold)

• muniḥ: sage
• muniḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), addressing the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A silent sage (muni) seated on a kusa mat, eyes half-closed, hands in dhyāna-mudrā; before him lie a lump of clay and a gold ornament, both ignored; a faint aura of stillness; disciples sit quietly at a distance.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A true sage is recognized by inner renunciation, meditation, and equanimity beyond desire and anger.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is directly praised; the verse teaches the dharma of inner withdrawal.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Meditative absorption (dhyāna) and restraint (dama), presented as the muni’s discipline.