Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

राज्ये पुत्रं समाधाय वैराग्यं परमं गतः । नियतो नियताहारो भिक्षान्नकृतभोजनः

Transliteration

rājye putraṃ samādhāya vairāgyaṃ paramaṃ gataḥ | niyato niyatāhāro bhikṣānnakṛtabhojanaḥ

Translation

Placing his son upon the throne, he attained supreme dispassion. Self-restrained and measured in diet, he lived on alms-food, eating only what was obtained by begging.

Word by Word

• राज्ये: in the kingdom
• राज्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पुत्रम्: son
• पुत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• समाधाय: having installed/entrusted
• समाधाय: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-धा (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त; absolutive)
• Form: ल्यपन्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया; अर्थः ‘स्थापयित्वा/निक्षिप्य’

• वैराग्यम्: dispassion, renunciation
• वैराग्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैराग्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• परमम्: supreme
• परमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (वैराग्यम्)

• गतः: went/attained
• गतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तरि-प्रयोगे विधेयः

• नियतः: disciplined, restrained
• नियतः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नियत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• नियताहारः: of regulated diet
• नियताहारः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नियत-आहार (प्रातिपदिक; समास-घटकौ: नियत + आहार)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• भिक्षान्नकृतभोजनः: one who ate food obtained by alms
• भिक्षान्नकृतभोजनः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भिक्षा-अन्न-कृत-भोजन (प्रातिपदिक; समास-घटकाः: भिक्षा + अन्न + कृत + भोजन)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम्; अर्थः ‘भिक्षान्नेन कृतं भोजनं यस्य/येन’ (भिक्षान्न-आश्रित-भोजन)

Speaker

Śrī Bhagavān (Janārdana/Viṣṇu)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (contextual continuation)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king crowns his son, removes royal ornaments, dons simple cloth, carries a begging bowl, and lives with measured diet—an image of royal-to-renunciant transformation.

Characters & Entities

• son (putra)
• vairāgya
• bhikṣā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma includes the courage to relinquish power and adopt disciplined living when seeking inner purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse supports the Kāśī-centered expiatory arc, emphasizing ascetic discipline as part of tīrtha-oriented purification.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Niyama (self-restraint), regulated diet, and living on bhikṣā (alms) as an ascetic observance.