Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

समः शत्रौ च मित्रे च समलोष्टाश्मकांचनः । समो मानापमानेषु न प्रेतो जायते नरः

Transliteration

samaḥ śatrau ca mitre ca samaloṣṭāśmakāṃcanaḥ | samo mānāpamāneṣu na preto jāyate naraḥ

Translation

مَن استوى قلبُه تجاه العدوّ والصديق، ورأى الترابَ والحجرَ والذهبَ سواءً، وبقي على حالٍ واحدٍ في الكرامة والمهانة—فإنه لا يُولَدُ بريتا (شبحًا جائعًا).

Word by Word

• samaḥ: equanimous, equal-minded
• samaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• śatrau: toward/in the enemy
• śatrau: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śatru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• mitre: toward/in the friend
• mitre: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mitra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• samaloṣṭāśmakāṃcanaḥ: to whom clod, stone, and gold are equal
• samaloṣṭāśmakāṃcanaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sama (प्रातिपदिक) + loṣṭa (प्रातिपदिक) + aśman (प्रातिपदिक) + kāñcana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (समानः लोष्टे अश्मनि काञ्चने च इति)

• samaḥ: equanimous
• samaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• mānāpamāneṣu: in honor and dishonor
• mānāpamāneṣu: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māna (प्रातिपदिक) + apamāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन; समासः—द्वन्द्वः (मानः च अपमानः च)

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation particle)

• pretaḥ: a preta (departed spirit)
• pretaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: preta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विधेय (predicate-noun)

• jāyate: is born, becomes
• jāyate: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jan (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; भावे/कर्मणि प्रयोगः—‘is born/becomes’

• naraḥ: a man
• naraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Māṃsāda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene ascetic-householder figure stands between a friend offering garlands and an enemy hurling insults; at his feet lie a clod of earth, a stone, and a gold ornament—he remains unmoved, eyes half-closed in calm.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Equanimity and non-attachment are presented as high dharma that stabilizes the mind and refines karma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tirtha is named here; the verse gives universal yogic-ethical qualities within a tīrtha discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No external rite; it prescribes inner discipline: samatva in relationships, possessions, and social regard.