Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

ज्ञानं लावकसन्त्यागादाज्यत्यागे महत्सुखम् । आसवं सम्परित्यज्य मुक्तिस्तस्य न दुर्लभा

Transliteration

jñānaṃ lāvakasantyāgādājyatyāge mahatsukham | āsavaṃ samparityajya muktistasya na durlabhā

Translation

লাবক ত্যাগ করলে সম্যক জ্ঞান লাভ হয়; ঘৃত ত্যাগ করলে মহাসুখ প্রাপ্ত হয়। আর আসব (মদ্য) সম্পূর্ণ পরিত্যাগ করলে তার জন্য মোক্ষ দুর্লভ নয়।

Word by Word

• ज्ञानम्: knowledge
• ज्ञानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अत्र फलरूपेण प्रथमा

• लावक-संत्यागात्: from giving up lāvaka (a specific bird/food item)
• लावक-संत्यागात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लावक (प्रातिपदिक) + संत्याग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (लावकस्य संत्यागः)

• आज्य-त्यागे: in the giving up of ghee
• आज्य-त्यागे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आज्य (प्रातिपदिक) + त्याग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (आज्यस्य त्यागः)

• महत्-सुखम्: great happiness
• महत्-सुखम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक) + सुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महत् सुखम्)

• आसवम्: fermented liquor
• आसवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आसव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सम्परित्यज्य: having completely abandoned
• सम्परित्यज्य: Kriya (Non-finite action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + परि + √त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive); पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया

• मुक्तिः: liberation
• मुक्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तस्य: for him/of that (person)
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

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

• दुर्लभा: difficult to obtain
• दुर्लभा: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर् (उपसर्ग) + लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (मुक्तिः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgara-khaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya instructional tone)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim-votary at a tīrtha, refusing rich foods and liquor, offering simple water and flowers at a shrine; the mind becomes luminous, suggesting jñāna and mokṣa.

Characters & Entities

• Mukti

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Renunciation that subdues craving—especially intoxicants—is presented as a direct aid to clarity and liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is stated in this verse; it is a vrata-centered phalaśruti.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Abstinence from lāvaka, ghee (ājya), and especially āsava (fermented liquor).