Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 61

Devanagari script

निर्दया ये प्रशोष्यंति मतिस्तेषां न शाश्वती । चतुर्भिः सहितं मर्त्या विवाहविधिना तु ये

Transliteration

nirdayā ye praśoṣyaṃti matisteṣāṃ na śāśvatī | caturbhiḥ sahitaṃ martyā vivāhavidhinā tu ye

Translation

Ceux qui sont cruels et font dépérir autrui—en eux la sagesse stable ne demeure pas. Et ces mortels qui, selon les règles du mariage, s’unissent avec quatre…

Word by Word

• निर्दयाः: merciless (people)
• निर्दयाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्दय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम

• प्रशोष्यन्ति: dry up/wither
• प्रशोष्यन्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + शुष् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• मतिः: understanding/mind
• मतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation)

• शाश्वती: lasting/permanent
• शाश्वती: Predicate adjective (विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शाश्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (मतिः)

• चतुर्भिः: with four
• चतुर्भिः: Sahakarana/Instrument (सह/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक-विशेषण

• सहितम्: accompanied/associated
• सहितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सहित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; सह्/सह धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त); विशेषण

• मर्त्या: by a mortal/man
• मर्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विवाह-विधिना: by the marriage rite
• विवाह-विधिना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विवाह (प्रातिपदिक) + विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (विवाहस्य विधिः)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम

Speaker

Narrative voice not explicit (verse appears to continue into the next śloka; incomplete statement here)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nīlarūpa-related tīrtha/rite context (implied)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and other ṛṣis (typical frame; not explicit in the verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic scene: a pilgrim community near a shrine; a stern sage warns that cruelty dries up wisdom, while dharmic householders prepare a rite with restraint and compassion.

Characters & Entities

• Vivāha (marriage)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cruelty erodes stable moral intelligence; dharma requires compassion and right conduct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this verse; it is part of an ethical passage within a tīrtha-māhātmya chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Vivāha-vidhi (marriage rule) is referenced, but the statement is incomplete in this śloka and appears to continue beyond the provided excerpt.