Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

लिखितापि वरारोहे यस्यैषा तिष्ठते गृहे । न तत्र जायते दोषो भूतप्रेतसमुद्भवः

Transliteration

likhitāpi varārohe yasyaiṣā tiṣṭhate gṛhe | na tatra jāyate doṣo bhūtapretasamudbhavaḥ

Translation

Wahai Sang Dewi yang berpinggul elok, sekalipun hanya tertulis, bila ini tetap berada di rumah seseorang, maka di sana tak pernah lahir cela atau gangguan yang timbul dari bhūta maupun preta.

Word by Word

• लिखिता: written
• लिखिता: Karma (Object/State)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लिख् (धातु) → लिखित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि क्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• वरारोहे: O fair-hipped one
• वरारोहे: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर + आरोह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय—वरः आरोहः यस्याः (‘of beautiful ascent/hips’)

• यस्य: whose
• यस्य: Sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध

• एषा: this (she/it)
• एषा: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• तिष्ठते: stands; remains
• तिष्ठते: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• गृहे: in (the) house
• गृहे: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

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

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of place)

• जायते: arises; is born
• जायते: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• दोषः: fault; blemish
• दोषः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दोष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• भूतप्रेतसमुद्भवः: arising from bhūtas and pretas
• भूतप्रेतसमुद्भवः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of दोषः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भूत + प्रेत + समुद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—भूतप्रेतैः समुद्भवः (arising from spirits/ghosts)

Speaker

Śiva (Īśvara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Suraśreṣṭha (best of gods; specific identity not stated in the provided excerpt)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Inside a traditional home shrine, a palm-leaf or birch-bark manuscript of the tīrtha-māhātmya rests on a wooden stand; protective aura surrounds the house while shadowy bhūtas/pretas remain outside, unable to enter.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Devī (Pārvatī)
• Bhūta
• Preta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred words are treated as living protection: preserving and honoring dhārmic scripture sanctifies the home and wards off negativity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single site; the verse praises the potency of the compiled tīrtha-list itself when kept (even in written form).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Keep the list/text written and preserved in the home; it is said to prevent spirit-related afflictions.