Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

दिवा स्वप्नं वृथान्नं च स्त्रीकथाऽलोक्यमेव च । श्वेतवस्त्रं हिरण्यं च यतीनां पतनानि षट्

Transliteration

divā svapnaṃ vṛthānnaṃ ca strīkathā'lokyameva ca | śvetavastraṃ hiraṇyaṃ ca yatīnāṃ patanāni ṣaṭ

Translation

النومُ نهارًا، وأكلُ طعامٍ نيلَ عبثًا، والاسترسالُ في حديث النساء والنظرُ إليهنّ، ولبسُ الثياب البيضاء، وامتلاكُ الذهب—هذه ستّةٌ أُعلنت أسبابَ سقوطِ اليَتيّ.

Word by Word

• divā: by day
• divā: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: divā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb of time: by day)

• svapnam: sleep (nap)
• svapnam: Karta (Item/उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svapna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अत्र गणनायां प्रथमा-बहुवचनार्थे (item in list)

• vṛthā-annam: wasteful food/eating
• vṛthā-annam: Karta (Item/उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛthā (अव्यय) + anna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अव्ययीभावः (वृथा अन्नम् = useless food/eating)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपातः

• strī-kathā: talk about women
• strī-kathā: Karta (Item/उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: strī (प्रातिपदिक) + kathā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (स्त्रियाः कथा)

• alokyam: improper seeing/looking (at what should not be seen)
• alokyam: Karta (Item/उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: a + lokya (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘लोक्य’ (√lok + यत्) = to be seen; नञ्-समासः (अलोक्यम्)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपातः

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपातः

• śveta-vastram: white clothing
• śveta-vastram: Karta (Item/उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śveta (प्रातिपदिक) + vastra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (श्वेतं वस्त्रम्)

• hiraṇyam: gold
• hiraṇyam: Karta (Item/उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hiraṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपातः

• yatīnām: of renunciants
• yatīnām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• patanāni: downfalls
• patanāni: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: patana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• ṣaṭ: six
• ṣaṭ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ṣaṭ (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक-विशेषणम्; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचनार्थे (agreeing with patanāni)

Speaker

Unspecified (deduced: didactic narrator within Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cautionary tableau of six vignettes around a central fallen yati: dozing in daylight, overeating, gossiping about women, gazing lustfully, donning bright white finery, and clutching gold—each shown as a chain pulling him downward.

Characters & Entities

• Yati
• Hiraṇya (gold)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A yati must guard sense-restraint and non-possessiveness; lax habits and attachment to wealth or sensual topics lead to spiritual decline.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is identified in this verse; it provides dharma-guidance embedded in the wider tīrtha-māhātmya setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Not a ritual but prohibitions: avoid daytime sleeping, indulgent eating, sensual talk/looking, and possession of gold—maintain ascetic restraint.