Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

अपि मृन्मयकं किंचित्काष्ठसूत्रमयं च वा । जतुकाचमयं वापि नारी धत्ते विभूषणम्

Transliteration

api mṛnmayakaṃ kiṃcitkāṣṭhasūtramayaṃ ca vā | jatukācamayaṃ vāpi nārī dhatte vibhūṣaṇam

Translation

ولو كان زينةً يسيرةً من طين، أو من خشبٍ وخيط، أو حتى من راتنجٍ وزجاج—فإن المرأة تلبسها حِلْيةً وزينةً.

Word by Word

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha/Emphasis (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्भावना/समुच्चय (even/also)

• मृन्मयकम्: made of clay
• मृन्मयकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृद् + मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (मृन्मयम्)

• किंचित्: some/a little
• किंचित्: Kriya-vishesana/Quantifier
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किंचित् (अव्यय/सर्वनाम)
• Form: अव्यय; अल्पपरिमाणवाचक (a little/some)

• काष्ठसूत्रमयम्: made of wooden thread/string
• काष्ठसूत्रमयम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काष्ठ + सूत्र + मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (काष्ठसूत्रेण/काष्ठसूत्रात् मयम्)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• वा: or
• वा: Vikalpa (Disjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्प (or)

• जतुकाचमयम्: made of lac and glass
• जतुकाचमयम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जतु + काच + मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (जतुकाचात् मयम्)

• वा: or
• वा: Vikalpa (Disjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्प (or)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha/Emphasis (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अतिशय (also/even)

• नारी: a woman
• नारी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• धत्ते: wears/puts on
• धत्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपदम्

• विभूषणम्: ornament
• विभूषणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभूषण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator-embedded speech (continuing didactic point)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sequence-like depiction of simple ornaments—clay, wood-thread, resin, glass—being worn with pride, illustrating the mind’s power to confer value.

Characters & Entities

• Clay/wood/thread/resin/glass ornaments
• Women (nārī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Attachment can cling even to modest objects; spiritual discipline examines the tendency of the mind to seek adornment and identity through externals.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No direct tīrtha praise appears; it continues the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra episode’s moral setup.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse catalogs materials to underscore the universality of ornament-desire.