Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

समत्वं शत्रुमित्राभ्यां तथा पा षाणरत्नयोः । यदा संजायते चित्ते तदा मोक्षमवाप्नुयात्

Transliteration

samatvaṃ śatrumitrābhyāṃ tathā pā ṣāṇaratnayoḥ | yadā saṃjāyate citte tadā mokṣamavāpnuyāt

Translation

Lorsque, dans l’esprit, naît la véritable équanimité envers l’ennemi comme envers l’ami, et de même envers une simple pierre et un joyau précieux, alors on obtient la délivrance (mokṣa).

Word by Word

• samatvam: equanimity
• samatvam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: samatva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• śatru-mitrābhyām: towards/with enemy and friend
• śatru-mitrābhyām: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śatru + mitra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter) (द्वन्द्व-समासः), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), द्विवचन (Dual)

• tathā: likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb) ‘likewise’

• pāṣāṇa-ratnayoḥ: in/with stone and jewel
• pāṣāṇa-ratnayoḥ: Adhikaraṇa (Domain/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāṣāṇa + ratna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter) (द्वन्द्व-समासः), षष्ठी/सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Gen./Loc.), द्विवचन (Dual)

• yadā: when
• yadā: Adhikaraṇa (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal conjunction)

• saṃjāyate: arises
• saṃjāyate: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-√jan (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• citte: in the mind
• citte: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: citta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• tadā: then
• tadā: Adhikaraṇa (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb)

• mokṣam: liberation
• mokṣam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mokṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• avāpnuyāt: would attain/should attain
• avāpnuyāt: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ava-√āp (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Narratorial voice (contextual instruction within Tīrthamāhātmya; exact speaker not explicit in this verse)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages (frame; not explicit here)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A contemplative ascetic/devotee seated in stillness; on either side lie a shining jewel and an ordinary stone, and two figures labeled ‘friend’ and ‘enemy’—the meditator remains unmoved.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Liberation is linked to inner equanimity—seeing friend and foe, stone and jewel, with the same balanced mind.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse appears within a Tīrthamāhātmya chapter of the Nāgarakhaṇḍa, but this particular line emphasizes inner qualification rather than naming a site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No external rite is prescribed here; the ‘practice’ is mental discipline culminating in equanimity.