Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

याज्ञवल्क्य उवाच । नाहं तात गमिष्यामि शांत्यर्थं तस्य मंदिरे । अवलेपेन युक्तस्य शुद्ध्या विरहितस्य च

Transliteration

yājñavalkya uvāca | nāhaṃ tāta gamiṣyāmi śāṃtyarthaṃ tasya maṃdire | avalepena yuktasya śuddhyā virahitasya ca

Translation

Yājñavalkya sprach: „Vater, ich werde nicht in sein Haus-Tempel gehen, um śānti zu wirken; denn er ist von Überheblichkeit erfüllt und ohne Reinheit.“

Word by Word

• याज्ञवल्क्यः: Yājñavalkya
• याज्ञवल्क्यः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: याज्ञवल्क्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation particle)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तात: dear father / sir
• तात: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• गमिष्यामि: I will go
• गमिष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• शान्त्यर्थम्: for pacification
• शान्त्यर्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शान्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थक

• तस्य: of him/of that (king)
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मन्दिरे: in the temple/house
• मन्दिरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्दिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अवलेपेन: with arrogance
• अवलेपेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवलेप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• युक्तस्य: of one who is endowed/connected
• युक्तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive qualifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युज् (धातु) → युक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय); पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• शुद्ध्या: with purity / by purification
• शुद्ध्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (instrumental: by/with purity)

• विरहितस्य: of one who is devoid (of purity)
• विरहितस्य: Sambandha (Genitive qualifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-रह् (धातु) → विरहित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय); पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

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

Speaker

Yājñavalkya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śākalya (implied interlocutor in the sequence)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Yājñavalkya, composed and firm, declines a request to perform śānti at the king’s house-temple, citing the king’s arrogance and impurity; tension is ethical, not physical.

Characters & Entities

• Yājñavalkya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual pacification is not fruitful when driven by arrogance and lacking inner and outer purity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse functions as a dharmic instruction within the Tīrthamāhātmya setting; the snippet does not name a specific tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śānti (pacificatory rite) is referenced indirectly—its performance is refused due to the patron’s impurity and pride.