Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

न त्यजत्यागमं किंचिद्यस्तपो नोपजीवति । अवंध्यकालो यस्यात्मा तमहं नौमि नारदम्

Transliteration

na tyajatyāgamaṃ kiṃcidyastapo nopajīvati | avaṃdhyakālo yasyātmā tamahaṃ naumi nāradam

Translation

Ich preise Nārada, der die heiligen Lehren in keiner Hinsicht aufgibt, der Askese nicht zum Broterwerb macht, und dessen Lebenszeit niemals vergeudet wird.

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• tyajati: abandons
• tyajati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: tyaj (त्यज्-धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• āgamaṃ: scripture/tradition
• āgamaṃ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āgama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• kiṃcit: anything
• kiṃcit: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kiṃcit (किम्-प्रातिपदिक + चित्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; अनिश्चित-प्रमाणवाचक (indefinite pronoun)

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम

• tapaḥ: austerity
• tapaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (क्रियाविशेषणवत्/accusative of respect possible)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• upajīvati: lives by/depends on
• upajīvati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: upa-jīv (जीव्-धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• a-vaṃdhya-kālaḥ: one whose time is not wasted
• a-vaṃdhya-kālaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-vaṃdhya (प्रातिपदिक) + kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास, विशेषण

• yasya: whose
• yasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम

• ātmā: self
• ātmā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• tam: him
• tam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aham (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• naumi: I bow to
• naumi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nam (नम्-धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; रूपान्तर (नौमि)

• nāradaṃ: Narada
• nāradaṃ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nārada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

Unspecified (Kaumārikākhaṇḍa context: Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa addressing sages)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nārada teaching a group of ascetics and householders: one side shows a false ascetic seeking alms as business fading away; Nārada points to scripture (āgama) and a sun-dial/hourglass symbolizing precious time.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Āgama
• Tapas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Scriptural integrity and sincere austerity—without turning spirituality into livelihood—make one’s time truly fruitful.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is identified; the verse teaches the ethics of spiritual practice.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite; it discourages exploiting tapas and encourages steadfastness in āgama.