Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

शमश्च सद्विचारश्च संतोषः साधुसंगमः । एते वै हस्तगा यस्य तस्य सिद्धिर्न दूरतः

Transliteration

śamaśca sadvicāraśca saṃtoṣaḥ sādhusaṃgamaḥ | ete vai hastagā yasya tasya siddhirna dūrataḥ

Translation

Quiétude (śama), juste discernement (sadvicāra), contentement (saṃtoṣa) et compagnie des saints (sādhusaṅgama) : quiconque les tient comme dans sa propre main, pour lui l’accomplissement (en yoga et en délivrance) n’est pas lointain.

Word by Word

• शमः: tranquility, self-control
• शमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• सद्विचारः: right discernment, good reflection
• सद्विचारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक) + विचार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारय-सदृशः (good + reflection)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• संतोषः: contentment
• संतोषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संतोष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• साधुसंगमः: company/association of the virtuous
• साधुसंगमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साधु (प्रातिपदिक) + संगम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (साधूनां संगमः)

• एते: these
• एते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Plural)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• हस्तगाः: in (one's) hand, readily available
• हस्तगाः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हस्त (प्रातिपदिक) + ग (गम्-धातु, कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सप्तमी/तत्पुरुष-सदृशः (हस्ते गाः = in hand)

• यस्य: of whom, whose
• यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सिद्धिः: success, attainment
• सिद्धिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• दूरतः: far away
• दूरतः: Adhikarana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दूर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोग/क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial ablative: 'from far' = far away)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya didactic narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A seeker holds four symbolic items in his palm—lotus (śama), lamp (sadvicāra), full pot (santoṣa), and a small group of saints (sādhu-saṅga) depicted as miniature figures—while a distant radiant summit/city of liberation appears very near.

Characters & Entities

• Sādhus (holy persons)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Core virtues and satsanga accelerate spiritual attainment; they are the nearest supports for mokṣa.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is directly mentioned; the verse highlights the inner ‘pilgrimage’ of virtues that makes outer pilgrimage fruitful.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Sādhusaṅgama (keeping holy company) is prescribed as a practical discipline.