Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

त्यक्त्वा गृहक्रियाः सर्वास्तथा यज्ञसमुद्भवाः । अन्याश्च लोकयात्रोत्थास्तोषयंति महेश्वरम्

Transliteration

tyaktvā gṛhakriyāḥ sarvāstathā yajñasamudbhavāḥ | anyāśca lokayātrotthāstoṣayaṃti maheśvaram

Translation

Délaissant toutes les tâches domestiques, ainsi que les rites issus des sacrifices, et même les autres actes liés à la subsistance mondaine, ils ne cherchèrent qu’à plaire à Maheśvara seul.

Word by Word

• त्यक्त्वा: having abandoned
• त्यक्त्वा: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज् (धातु) (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), ‘having abandoned’

• गृह-क्रियाः: household rites/acts
• गृह-क्रियाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक) + क्रिया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (गृहस्य क्रियाः)

• सर्वाः: all
• सर्वाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण (गृहक्रियाः)

• तथा: and also
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय/प्रकारार्थ (also/likewise)

• यज्ञ-समुद्भवाः: arising from sacrifices
• यज्ञ-समुद्भवाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक) + समुद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण (क्रियाः) ; तत्पुरुष (यज्ञात् समुद्भवाः = arising from sacrifice)

• अन्याः: other
• अन्याः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण (क्रियाः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• लोक-यात्रा-उत्थाः: arising from worldly duties
• लोक-यात्रा-उत्थाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक) + यात्रा (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण (क्रियाः) ; तत्पुरुष (लोकयात्रायाः उत्थाः = arising from worldly livelihood/maintenance)

• तोषयन्ति: they please
• तोषयन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तुष् (धातु) (णिच्)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• महेश्वरम्: Maheshvara (Śiva)
• महेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (deduced narrative voice)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devotees set aside household tools and trade goods, leaving homes behind; they gather at a Śiva temple, living simply, offering daily worship with bilva leaves and water, their faces calm with renunciation and focus.

Characters & Entities

• Maheśvara
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Single-minded devotion—placing God-realization above routine obligations—is portrayed as an intense form of worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader setting is Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya; this verse focuses on the devotees’ discipline rather than naming the tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Not a specific rite, but a vow-like discipline: giving up household and worldly activities to concentrate on Śiva’s propitiation.