Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

लक्ष्मीरुवाच । ततो मया पुनः प्रोक्तो भगवान्स मुनीश्वरः । मानुषत्वे न मे रागो विरक्तिर्महती स्थिता

Transliteration

lakṣmīruvāca | tato mayā punaḥ prokto bhagavānsa munīśvaraḥ | mānuṣatve na me rāgo viraktirmahatī sthitā

Translation

লক্ষ্মী বললেন: তখন আমি আবার মুনিশ্রেষ্ঠ সেই ভগবানকে বললাম—‘মানবজীবনে আমার আসক্তি নেই; আমার অন্তরে মহৎ বৈরাগ্য স্থিত।’

Word by Word

• lakṣmīḥ: Lakṣmī
• lakṣmīḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lakṣmī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — ‘Lakṣmī’

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — ‘said’

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Adhikarana (Sequence/क्रम-अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय — ‘then/thereafter’

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन — ‘by me’

• punaḥ: again
• punaḥ: Adhikarana (Manner/प्रकार-अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) — ‘again’

• proktaḥ: addressed/spoken to
• proktaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-vac (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त/PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — ‘spoken/addressed’ (अत्र ‘मुनीश्वरः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)

• bhagavān: the venerable one
• bhagavān: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhagavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — ‘the Blessed Lord’

• saḥ: that (he)
• saḥ: Apposition (समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — ‘he/that’

• munīśvaraḥ: lord of sages
• munīśvaraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक) + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (मुनीनां ईश्वरः) — ‘lord of sages’

• mānuṣatve: in human existence
• mānuṣatve: Adhikarana (Domain/विषय-अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mānuṣatva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन — ‘in human state/among humans’

• na: not
• na: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध/Negation particle)

• me: my
• me: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन — ‘of me/my’

• rāgaḥ: attachment
• rāgaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — ‘attachment/passion’

• viraktiḥ: dispassion
• viraktiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: virakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — ‘dispassion’

• mahatī: great
• mahatī: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — ‘great’ (viraktiḥ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)

• sthitā: is established
• sthitā: Kriya (Copular/स्थितिक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sthā (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त/PPP), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — ‘is established/stands’

Speaker

Lakṣmī

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: a great sage (munīśvara)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Lakṣmī, serene and radiant, speaks to a great sage: despite human embodiment, she feels no rāga; her face shows calm detachment, with a quiet hermitage or shrine backdrop.

Characters & Entities

• Lakṣmī
• Munīśvara (unnamed sage)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True spiritual aspiration begins with vairāgya—seeing worldly status as insufficient and seeking higher attainment through dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this verse; it sets the narrative frame for a vrata/tīrtha teaching.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; Lakṣmī is preparing to request an ‘uttama vrata’ (supreme observance).