Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

त्यक्त्वा गृहक्रियाः सर्वास्तथा यज्ञसमुद्भवाः । अन्याश्च लोकयात्रोत्थास्तोषयंति महेश्वरम्

Transliteration

tyaktvā gṛhakriyāḥ sarvāstathā yajñasamudbhavāḥ | anyāśca lokayātrotthāstoṣayaṃti maheśvaram

Translation

Indem sie alle häuslichen Pflichten aufgaben, ebenso die aus Opfern hervorgehenden Riten und auch andere Handlungen, die dem weltlichen Lebensunterhalt entspringen, suchten sie allein Maheshvara zu erfreuen.

Word by Word

• त्यक्त्वा: having abandoned
• त्यक्त्वा: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज् (धातु) (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), ‘having abandoned’

• गृह-क्रियाः: household rites/acts
• गृह-क्रियाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक) + क्रिया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (गृहस्य क्रियाः)

• सर्वाः: all
• सर्वाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण (गृहक्रियाः)

• तथा: and also
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय/प्रकारार्थ (also/likewise)

• यज्ञ-समुद्भवाः: arising from sacrifices
• यज्ञ-समुद्भवाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक) + समुद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण (क्रियाः) ; तत्पुरुष (यज्ञात् समुद्भवाः = arising from sacrifice)

• अन्याः: other
• अन्याः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण (क्रियाः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• लोक-यात्रा-उत्थाः: arising from worldly duties
• लोक-यात्रा-उत्थाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक) + यात्रा (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण (क्रियाः) ; तत्पुरुष (लोकयात्रायाः उत्थाः = arising from worldly livelihood/maintenance)

• तोषयन्ति: they please
• तोषयन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तुष् (धातु) (णिच्)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• महेश्वरम्: Maheshvara (Śiva)
• महेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (deduced narrative voice)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devotees set aside household tools and trade goods, leaving homes behind; they gather at a Śiva temple, living simply, offering daily worship with bilva leaves and water, their faces calm with renunciation and focus.

Characters & Entities

• Maheśvara
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Single-minded devotion—placing God-realization above routine obligations—is portrayed as an intense form of worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader setting is Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya; this verse focuses on the devotees’ discipline rather than naming the tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Not a specific rite, but a vow-like discipline: giving up household and worldly activities to concentrate on Śiva’s propitiation.