Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

विविच्य नंदभद्रस्तत्सारं मोक्षेषु जगृहे । कृषिं केचित्प्रशंसंति नंदभद्रो न मन्यते

Transliteration

vivicya naṃdabhadrastatsāraṃ mokṣeṣu jagṛhe | kṛṣiṃ kecitpraśaṃsaṃti naṃdabhadro na manyate

Translation

正しく見極めて、ナンダバドラは本質をモークシャ（解脱）として受け取った。農耕を称える者もいるが、ナンダバドラはそれを最高の善とは認めない。

Word by Word

• vivicya: having discerned
• vivicya: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-√vic (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable gerund)

• naṃdabhadraḥ: Nandabhadra
• naṃdabhadraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: naṃdabhadra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; व्यक्तिनाम (proper noun)

• tat: of that
• tat: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम; (समासपूर्वपदत्वेन)

• sāram: essence
• sāram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• mokṣeṣu: in liberations / in the means to liberation
• mokṣeṣu: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mokṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन

• jagṛhe: he accepted, he chose
• jagṛhe: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √grah (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदी

• kṛṣim: agriculture, farming
• kṛṣim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• kecit: some (people)
• kecit: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक (indefinite pronoun: 'some')

• praśaṃsanti: praise
• praśaṃsanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√śaṃs (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपदी

• naṃdabhadraḥ: Nandabhadra
• naṃdabhadraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: naṃdabhadra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• manyate: thinks, considers
• manyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √man (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपदी

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa Sūta (deduced; Māheśvara-khaṇḍa narration to sages)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nandabhadra, calm and austere, listens to villagers praising farming; he gestures toward a Śiva shrine and the path of liberation, holding a staff and waterpot.

Characters & Entities

• Nandabhadra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Discernment reveals mokṣa as the true essence; worldly occupations are not the highest aim.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it introduces Nandabhadra’s value-choice toward liberation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse points to mokṣa-oriented living rather than occupational praise.