Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

वेदस्मृतिपुराणोक्तधर्मे यो नित्यमास्थितः । प्रियाप्रियविमुक्तं तं नारदं प्रणमाम्यहम्

Transliteration

vedasmṛtipurāṇoktadharme yo nityamāsthitaḥ | priyāpriyavimuktaṃ taṃ nāradaṃ praṇamāmyaham

Translation

I bow to Nārada, who remains ever established in the dharma taught in the Vedas, Smṛtis, and Purāṇas, and who is freed from attachment to what is pleasant and aversion to what is unpleasant.

Word by Word

• वेदस्मृतिपुराणोक्तधर्मे: in the dharma taught in Veda–Smṛti–Purāṇa
• वेदस्मृतिपुराणोक्तधर्मे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद + स्मृति + पुराण + उक्त + धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Locative singular; ‘in the dharma stated in the Vedas, Smṛtis and Purāṇas’

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Relative pronoun, nominative singular

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोग)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb) ‘always’

• आस्थितः: abiding (in), devoted
• आस्थितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; PPP ‘having resorted to/abiding in’

• प्रियाप्रियविमुक्तम्: free from likes and dislikes
• प्रियाप्रियविमुक्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रिय + अप्रिय + विमुक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular; विशेषण (नारदम्); ‘free from (both) dear and not-dear’

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• नारदम्: Narada
• नारदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• प्रणमामि: I bow down to
• प्रणमामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + नम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, उत्तम-पुरुष, एकवचन; Present indicative, 1st sg

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Pronoun, nominative singular

Speaker

Unspecified (Kaumārikākhaṇḍa context: Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa addressing sages)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nārada as śāstra-bearer: manuscripts labeled Veda/Smṛti/Purāṇa, teaching posture; a balanced scale or calm lake symbolizing equanimity; devotees listening with composed faces.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Veda
• Smṛti
• Purāṇa
• Dharma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True dharma is steady adherence to scriptural teaching, coupled with inner freedom from attraction and aversion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; the focus is on the greatness of Nārada’s dharmic character.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed; the verse functions as a devotional salutation (praṇāma) and ethical ideal.