Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

न हृष्यत्यर्थलाभेन योऽलाभे न व्यथत्यपि । स्थिरबुद्धिरसक्तात्मा तमहं नौमि नारदम्

Transliteration

na hṛṣyatyarthalābhena yo'lābhe na vyathatyapi | sthirabuddhirasaktātmā tamahaṃ naumi nāradam

Translation

Je loue Nārada, qui ne s’exalte pas au gain des richesses ni ne s’attriste de leur absence; à l’intelligence stable et à l’âme détachée.

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (sentence negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• hṛṣyati: rejoices
• hṛṣyati: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: hṛṣ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular), परस्मैपद

• artha-lābhena: by gain of wealth/benefit
• artha-lābhena: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: artha (प्रातिपदिक) + lābha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अर्थस्य लाभः)

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक-यः (relative pronoun)

• alābhe: in non-gain / in loss
• alābhe: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: alābha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (sentence negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• vyathati: is distressed
• vyathati: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vyath (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• api: even/also
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-कारक-अव्यय (particle: also/even)

• sthira-buddhiḥ: steady-minded
• sthira-buddhiḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sthira (प्रातिपदिक) + buddhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारयः (स्थिरा बुद्धिः यस्य)

• asakta-ātmā: detached in self
• asakta-ātmā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: asakta (प्रातिपदिक) + ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारयः (असक्तः आत्मा यस्य)

• tam: him
• tam: Karman (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-प्रयोगः; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (1st person pronoun)

• naumi: salute
• naumi: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nam (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• nāradam: Narada
• nāradam: Karman (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nārada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (proper noun)

Speaker

Unspecified (Kaumārikākhaṇḍa context: Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa addressing sages)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (Pārthiva/Rājan)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene Nārada, vīṇā in hand, stands unmoved amid symbols of wealth and loss—gold, empty bowls, praise and blame—his gaze steady and compassionate.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Equanimity toward gain and loss is a sign of steadiness and non-attachment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it teaches inner balance rather than external observance.