Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

तथापि नैव गृह्णीयात्तपोरक्षा यतः सदा । वेदपाठो विष्णुपूजा ब्रह्मध्यानमलोभता

Transliteration

tathāpi naiva gṛhṇīyāttaporakṣā yataḥ sadā | vedapāṭho viṣṇupūjā brahmadhyānamalobhatā

Translation

Dennoch soll er nicht (viel) annehmen, denn der Schutz der Askese muss stets gewahrt bleiben—durch vedische Rezitation, Verehrung Viṣṇus, Meditation über Brahman und Freiheit von Gier.

Word by Word

• तथा: thus, in that manner
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable), क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• अपि: even, also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable), निपात (particle)

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

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

• गृह्णीयात्: should take/accept
• गृह्णीयात्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular)

• तपो-रक्षा: protection of austerity
• तपो-रक्षा: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक) + रक्षा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative): तपसः रक्षा

• यतः: because, since
• यतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, हेत्वर्थक (causal indeclinable: 'because/for')

• सदा: always
• सदा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, कालवाचक (temporal adverb)

• वेद-पाठः: recitation of the Veda
• वेद-पाठः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक) + पाठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: वेदानां पाठः

• विष्णु-पूजा: worship of Viṣṇu
• विष्णु-पूजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक) + पूजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: विष्णोः पूजा

• ब्रह्म-ध्यानम्: meditation on Brahman
• ब्रह्म-ध्यानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + ध्यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ब्रह्मणः ध्यानम्

• अ-लोभता: non-greed, freedom from avarice
• अ-लोभता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ (उपसर्ग/नञ्) + लोभता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नञ्-प्रत्ययेन निषेध (negation): लोभाभावः

Speaker

Brahmā (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A disciplined ascetic-brāhmaṇa in a simple hut: chanting Veda, offering flowers to Viṣṇu, then seated in Brahman-meditation; a patron’s large gift is set aside to show alobha.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Brahman

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerity is preserved by restraint and inner discipline—study, worship, meditation, and non-greed form a protective fence around spiritual power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No location is specified in this verse; it provides universal dharma principles often taught alongside tīrtha-glorification.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Veda recitation, Viṣṇu worship, and Brahman-meditation are recommended as ongoing practices, along with limiting acceptance of gifts.