Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

मनसा चिन्तयानस्तु तन्मात्रार्थं दिनेदिने । न च्छिद्रं वीक्षते किंचिद्वीक्षमाणोऽपि यत्नतः

Transliteration

manasā cintayānastu tanmātrārthaṃ dinedine | na cchidraṃ vīkṣate kiṃcidvīkṣamāṇo'pi yatnataḥ

Translation

Jour après jour, il ne méditait en son cœur que ce seul but ; et, même en scrutant avec soin et effort, il ne voyait aucune faille, pas la moindre ouverture.

Word by Word

• मनसा: with the mind
• मनसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन; Instrumental singular (by/with the mind)

• चिन्तयानः: thinking
• चिन्तयानः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: cintay (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Present active participle (thinking)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थक; particle (but/indeed)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषसम्बन्धे (पूर्वपद), एकवचन; pronominal stem used as determiner (that)

• मात्र: mere/only
• मात्र: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mātra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषसम्बन्धे (पूर्वपद), एकवचन; measure/only-ness as prior member

• अर्थम्: purpose/sake
• अर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; in compound तन्मात्रार्थम् = तत्+मात्र+अर्थ (for the sake of that alone)

• दिने: in a day
• दिने: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dina (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन; Locative singular (in a day)

• दिने: day by day
• दिने: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dina (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन; repetition for distributive sense (day by day)

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

• छिद्रम्: a hole/opening
• छिद्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: chidra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; Accusative singular

• वीक्षते: sees/looks for
• वीक्षते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vīkṣ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; Present indicative (he sees/looks for)

• किंचित्: anything
• किंचित्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kiṃcit (सर्वनाम/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; indefinite pronoun used adverbially/nominally (anything)

• वीक्षमाणः: even while looking
• वीक्षमाणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vīkṣ (धातु) + शानच् (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Present middle participle (while looking)

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Concession/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (concessive/also)

• यत्नतः: with effort
• यत्नतः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय; Ablatival adverb (with effort)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; within Tīrthamāhātmya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The disciple sits in contemplation, mentally fixed on one purpose; around him are symbolic ‘gaps’—temptations, distractions—shown as closed doors or sealed cracks, indicating no flaw found.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Persistent inner intention shapes action; dharma is protected when no ‘chidra’ (weak point) is available for wrongdoing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it functions as narrative detail within the Tīrthamāhātmya chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse describes mental fixation and careful searching rather than a rite.