Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

तृणानि भूमिरुदकं वाक्चतुर्थी च सूनृता । एतान्यपि सतां गेहे नोच्छिद्यंते कदाचन

Transliteration

tṛṇāni bhūmirudakaṃ vākcaturthī ca sūnṛtā | etānyapi satāṃ gehe nocchidyaṃte kadācana

Translation

তৃণ (আসনের জন্য), ভূমি (বসার স্থান), জল, এবং চতুর্থ—মধুর সত্যবচন; এইগুলি সজ্জনদের গৃহে কখনও অনুপস্থিত থাকে না।

Word by Word

• tṛṇāni: grass (blades of grass)
• tṛṇāni: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tṛṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), बहुवचन; Nominative plural (grass)

• bhūmiḥ: ground / earth
• bhūmiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūmi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Nominative singular (ground/earth)

• udakam: water
• udakam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: udaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Nominative singular (water)

• vāk: speech
• vāk: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāc (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Nominative singular (speech/word)

• caturthī: the fourth (item)
• caturthī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: caturthī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘fourth (thing)’ (here: fourth item)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (and)

• sūnṛtā: kind truthful speech
• sūnṛtā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūnṛtā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Nominative singular (kind/true speech)

• etāni: these
• etāni: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), बहुवचन; Nominative plural (these)

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (also/even)

• satām: of the virtuous
• satām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; Genitive plural (of the good/virtuous)

• gehe: in the house
• gehe: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: geha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन; Locative singular (in the house)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात (not)

• ucchidyaṃte: cease / are lacking
• ucchidyaṃte: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ud + chid (छिद्, धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive): ‘are cut off/cease’

• kadācana: ever / at any time
• kadācana: Adhikaraṇa (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kadācana (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (ever/at any time)

Speaker

Narrative voice (Purāṇic narrator; not explicitly named in this verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A simple but virtuous home: a grass mat laid on the ground, a water pot offered, and the host greeting with gentle truthful words; the scene emphasizes minimalism and warmth.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True virtue is shown in consistent hospitality: simple resources plus kind truthfulness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse belongs to the Śrīhāṭa–Keśvara-kṣetra Māhātmya context, where tīrtha-life is expressed through daily dharma like honoring guests.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A practical code of reception: provide a seat (even grass/ground), water, and sūnṛtā—pleasant truthful speech.