Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 97

Devanagari script

मानुषैः सह संसर्गं संभाषं च नराधिप । न कुर्मो न च पश्यामो गच्छामोऽन्यत्र दूरतः

Transliteration

mānuṣaiḥ saha saṃsargaṃ saṃbhāṣaṃ ca narādhipa | na kurmo na ca paśyāmo gacchāmo'nyatra dūrataḥ

Translation

Ô seigneur des hommes, nous ne fréquentons ni ne parlons aux gens ordinaires; nous ne les regardons même pas—nous nous retirons ailleurs, au loin.

Word by Word

• मानुषैः: with/through men; by humans
• मानुषैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण) विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Instrumental case, Plural)

• सह: with
• सह: Sambandha (Association/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: संबन्ध/सहचर्यवाचक अव्यय (indeclinable: comitative particle)

• संसर्गम्: contact; association
• संसर्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संसर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Singular)

• संभाषम्: conversation; talk
• संभाषम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संभाष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Singular)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (indeclinable conjunction)

• नराधिप: O king (lord of men)
• नराधिप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर + अधिप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (सम्बोधन) विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Vocative, Singular)

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

• कुर्मः: we do
• कुर्मः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद (Present indicative, 1st person plural, Parasmaipada)

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

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (indeclinable conjunction)

• पश्यामः: we see
• पश्यामः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद (Present indicative, 1st person plural, Parasmaipada)

• गच्छामः: we go
• गच्छामः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद (Present indicative, 1st person plural, Parasmaipada)

• अन्यत्र: elsewhere
• अन्यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (indeclinable adverb of place)

• दूरतः: from far away; at a distance
• दूरतः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दूरतस् (अव्यय)
• Form: अपादान/देशवाचक अव्यय (indeclinable: from afar/at a distance)

Speaker

Tāpasas (forest ascetics)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: narādhipa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A group of forest ascetics addresses a king, standing beneath trees at the edge of a sacred woodland; their faces calm, gestures restrained, indicating refusal of worldly association.

Characters & Entities

• tāpasas
• rājā (king)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Detachment is protected by guarding one’s company and speech; solitude supports steadiness in worship and austerity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it supports the broader tīrtha narrative by portraying the forest as a sanctified ascetic environment.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; it prescribes a discipline of avoiding social contact as a support for tapas.