Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 61

Devanagari script

श्रीशुक उवाच । रसता सर्पता धूलि लोके त्वशुचिना चिरम् । मुनेऽत्र शिशुना लोकस्तुष्टिं याति स बालिशः

Transliteration

śrīśuka uvāca | rasatā sarpatā dhūli loke tvaśucinā ciram | mune'tra śiśunā lokastuṣṭiṃ yāti sa bāliśaḥ

Translation

Śrī Śuka sprach: Hier in dieser Welt gibt es seit langem unreinen Staub, der schreit und umherkriecht. Und doch, o Weiser, werden die Menschen schon durch ein einziges Baby zufrieden; so kindisch sind die Wege der Welt.

Word by Word

• śrīśukaḥ: Śrī Śuka
• śrīśukaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī-śuka (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेष-नाम

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदी

• rasatā: by crying/noise
• rasatā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rasat (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; करण (means)

• sarpatā: by crawling
• sarpatā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarpat (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; करण

• dhūliḥ: dust
• dhūliḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhūli (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• loke: in the world
• loke: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; अधिकरण

• tu: but
• tu: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (contrastive particle)

• aśucinā: by impurity / with uncleanliness
• aśucinā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aśuci (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying implied ‘state/means’)

• ciram: for a long time
• ciram: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ciram (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• mune: O sage
• mune: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• atra: here
• atra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• śiśunā: by a child
• śiśunā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiśu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; करण

• lokaḥ: the people/world
• lokaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• tuṣṭim: satisfaction/pleasure
• tuṣṭim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tuṣṭi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्म

• yāti: attains
• yāti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: yā (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदी

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• bāliśaḥ: foolish/childish
• bāliśaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bāliśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying saḥ/śiśu)

Speaker

Śrī Śuka

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Muni (explicitly addressed: ‘mune’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śukadeva points to a symbolic ‘world’ scene: dusty lanes, crawling infants, crying sounds; yet adults smile and applaud—an ironic tableau. Śuka remains serene, indicating higher perspective.

Characters & Entities

• Śuka
• muni

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The world’s satisfactions can be naïve and superficial; discernment is needed to seek lasting good.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific holy site is mentioned in this particular verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is a reflection on worldly psychology and attachment.