Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

केशसंस्कारसंत्यागात्तापत्रयविवर्जितः । नखरोमधरो यस्तु हरौ सुप्ते विशेषतः

Transliteration

keśasaṃskārasaṃtyāgāttāpatrayavivarjitaḥ | nakharomadharo yastu harau supte viśeṣataḥ

Translation

Durch den Verzicht auf das Pflegen und Schmücken der Haare wird man von den dreifachen Leiden frei. Und wer Nägel und Körperhaar ungeschnitten lässt—besonders während des Cāturmāsya, wenn Hari „ruht“—erlangt dieses Verdienst.

Word by Word

• केश-संस्कार-संत्यागात्: from abandoning hair-rituals (grooming/tonsure rites)
• केश-संस्कार-संत्यागात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Ablative/हेतु-अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केश (प्रातिपदिक) + संस्कार (प्रातिपदिक) + संत्याग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषसमासः (केशानां संस्कारस्य संत्यागः; तस्मात्)

• ताप-त्रय-विवर्जितः: free from the three sufferings
• ताप-त्रय-विवर्जितः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ताप (प्रातिपदिक) + त्रय (प्रातिपदिक) + विवर्जित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; वि+वृज्/वर्ज्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त) ‘विवर्जित’; तत्पुरुषः (तापत्रयेन विवर्जितः = free from the three afflictions)

• नख-रोम-धरः: one who keeps nails and body-hair (untrimmed)
• नख-रोम-धरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नख (प्रातिपदिक) + रोम (प्रातिपदिक) + धर (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; धृ धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (नखानि रोमाणि च धरति इति)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Relative subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक-सर्वनाम

• तु: but, indeed
• तु: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक-अव्यय (particle: ‘but/indeed’)

• हरौ: in/with respect to Hari (Viṣṇu)
• हरौ: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• सुप्ते: when (he is) asleep
• सुप्ते: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुप्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; स्वप् धातु, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle)

• विशेषतः: especially
• विशेषतः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेषतः (अव्यय; विशेष + तसिल्)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (adverb: ‘especially’)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya didactic narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nārada

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Cāturmāsya observer with unshorn hair and untrimmed nails stands near a Viṣṇu shrine; in the sanctum, Viṣṇu rests as Śeṣaśāyī, suggesting the ‘Hari asleep’ season; attendants hold lamps and tulasī.

Characters & Entities

• Hari (Viṣṇu)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerity that reduces vanity and comfort is praised as a means to lessen suffering and cultivate inner steadiness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is vrata-oriented and does not name a specific tirtha in its wording.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

During Cāturmāsya (Hari’s yoganidrā), avoid hair grooming and keep nails/body-hair untrimmed as a form of restraint.