Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

कुसुम्भस्य परित्यागान्नैव पश्येद्यमाल यम् । केशरस्य परित्यागान्मनुष्यो राजवल्लभः

Transliteration

kusumbhasya parityāgānnaiva paśyedyamāla yam | keśarasya parityāgānmanuṣyo rājavallabhaḥ

Translation

Wer auf Kusumbha (Färberdistel/Farbstoff) verzichtet, erblickt nicht Yamas Wohnstatt. Wer auf Safran verzichtet, wird den Königen lieb und teuer.

Word by Word

• कुसुम्भस्य: of safflower (kusumbha)
• कुसुम्भस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुसुम्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठीविभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• परित्यागात्: from renunciation/abstaining
• परित्यागात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परि-त्याग (प्रातिपदिक; त्यज्-धातुजन्य भावनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमीविभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

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

• एव: indeed/at all
• एव: Avadharana (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• पश्येत्: would see
• पश्येत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• यमम्: Yama (lord of death)
• यमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• आलयम्: abode
• आलयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आलय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘यम-आलयम्’ इति समासार्थः (यमस्य आलयम्)

• केशरस्य: of saffron (kesara)
• केशरस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केशर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठीविभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• परित्यागात्: from renunciation/abstaining
• परित्यागात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परि-त्याग (प्रातिपदिक; त्यज्-धातुजन्य भावनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमीविभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• मनुष्यः: a man/person
• मनुष्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनुष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• राज-वल्लभः: dear to the king
• राज-वल्लभः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक) + वल्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (राज्ञः वल्लभः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya didactic narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee rejects bright kusumbha-dyed cloth and saffron; Yama’s dark city recedes like a dissolving vision; a king or royal court offers respectful regard to the humble pilgrim.

Characters & Entities

• Yama

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Renouncing vanity and luxury items is praised as a dharmic restraint that protects from painful after-death states and brings honor.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tirtha is named; the teaching is framed as general Cāturmāsya discipline within a Māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Abstain from kusumbha-dye and saffron as part of a vow, with stated spiritual and social results.