Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

शमश्च सद्विचारश्च संतोषः साधुसंगमः । एते वै हस्तगा यस्य तस्य सिद्धिर्न दूरतः

Transliteration

śamaśca sadvicāraśca saṃtoṣaḥ sādhusaṃgamaḥ | ete vai hastagā yasya tasya siddhirna dūrataḥ

Translation

Gelassenheit (śama), rechtes Unterscheiden (sadvicāra), Zufriedenheit (saṃtoṣa) und die Gemeinschaft der Heiligen (sādhusaṅgama)—wer dies gleichsam in seiner Hand hält, dem ist die Vollendung (in Yoga und Befreiung) nicht fern.

Word by Word

• शमः: tranquility, self-control
• शमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• सद्विचारः: right discernment, good reflection
• सद्विचारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक) + विचार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारय-सदृशः (good + reflection)

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

• संतोषः: contentment
• संतोषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संतोष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• साधुसंगमः: company/association of the virtuous
• साधुसंगमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साधु (प्रातिपदिक) + संगम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (साधूनां संगमः)

• एते: these
• एते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Plural)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• हस्तगाः: in (one's) hand, readily available
• हस्तगाः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हस्त (प्रातिपदिक) + ग (गम्-धातु, कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सप्तमी/तत्पुरुष-सदृशः (हस्ते गाः = in hand)

• यस्य: of whom, whose
• यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सिद्धिः: success, attainment
• सिद्धिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• दूरतः: far away
• दूरतः: Adhikarana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दूर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोग/क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial ablative: 'from far' = far away)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya didactic narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A seeker holds four symbolic items in his palm—lotus (śama), lamp (sadvicāra), full pot (santoṣa), and a small group of saints (sādhu-saṅga) depicted as miniature figures—while a distant radiant summit/city of liberation appears very near.

Characters & Entities

• Sādhus (holy persons)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Core virtues and satsanga accelerate spiritual attainment; they are the nearest supports for mokṣa.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is directly mentioned; the verse highlights the inner ‘pilgrimage’ of virtues that makes outer pilgrimage fruitful.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Sādhusaṅgama (keeping holy company) is prescribed as a practical discipline.