Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

नेर्ष्या चैवात्र कर्तव्या स्वस्थानस्य विनाशनी । निरूपितं मया सम्यक्स्थानस्थस्य विशुद्धये

Transliteration

nerṣyā caivātra kartavyā svasthānasya vināśanī | nirūpitaṃ mayā samyaksthānasthasya viśuddhaye

Translation

„Hier soll kein Neid gehegt werden, denn er zerstört den eigenen Stand. Ich habe dies recht dargelegt zur Läuterung dessen, der an seinem gebührenden Platz verweilt — in Pflicht und Stellung.“

Word by Word

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

• ईर्ष्या: envy
• ईर्ष्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईर्ष्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)

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

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• कर्तव्या: should be done/should be (entertained)
• कर्तव्या: Karya (Obligation/कार्य)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृत् प्रत्यय) → कर्तव्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive/obligatory), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)

• स्वस्थानस्य: of one’s own place/state
• स्वस्थानस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative: 'स्वस्य स्थानम्'), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (singular)

• विनाशनी: destroying; ruinous
• विनाशनी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + नश् (धातु) + णिनि (कृत् प्रत्यय) → विनाशनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्तरि-णिनि-प्रत्ययान्त (agentive/causative sense: 'destroying'), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)

• निरूपितम्: has been explained/laid down
• निरूपितम्: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि + रूप् (धातु) + क्त (कृत्) → निरूपित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (singular)

• मया: by me
• मया: Kartr-karana (Agent in passive/कर्ता-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम (1st person pronoun), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (singular)

• सम्यक्: properly; correctly
• सम्यक्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्यक् (अव्यय)
• Form: रीतिवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of manner)

• स्थानस्थस्य: of one who is in (his proper) place
• स्थानस्थस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष (locative determinative: 'स्थाने स्थितः' → 'स्थानस्थ'), पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (singular)

• विशुद्धये: for purification
• विशुद्धये: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन (singular)

Speaker

Bhartṛyajña

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas / tīrtha-assembly

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The teacher cautions the assembly: envy is shown as a dark, corrosive force eroding a person’s pedestal, while calm devotees remain steady in their rightful station.

Characters & Entities

• Dharma (proper station/role implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Envy corrodes spiritual progress; purity is protected by honoring one’s rightful duty and place.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse occurs within the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra-māhātmya narrative frame, but it gives a universal ethical teaching rather than naming a tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A behavioral discipline is prescribed: refrain from jealousy as part of inner purification.