Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

श्मशानमपि सेवंते धनलुब्धा निशागमे । जनेतारमपि त्यक्त्वा नित्यं यांति सुदूरतः

Transliteration

śmaśānamapi sevaṃte dhanalubdhā niśāgame | janetāramapi tyaktvā nityaṃ yāṃti sudūrataḥ

Translation

ಧನಲೋಭಿಗಳು ರಾತ್ರಿ ವೇಳೆಯಲ್ಲೂ ಶ್ಮಶಾನವನ್ನೂ ಸೇರುತ್ತಾರೆ. ಉಪಕಾರಕನನ್ನೂ ತ್ಯಜಿಸಿ, ಅವರು ನಿತ್ಯ ದೂರದೂರಕ್ಕೆ (ಲಾಭಕ್ಕಾಗಿ) ಹೋಗುತ್ತಾರೆ.

Word by Word

• श्मशानम्: cremation ground
• श्मशानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्मशान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Emphasis (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (Particle: 'even')

• सेवन्ते: they frequent / serve
• सेवन्ते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सेव् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), आत्मनेपद

• धनलुब्धाः: greedy for wealth
• धनलुब्धाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धन + लुब्ध (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; लुभ् धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (Past participle), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषण

• निशागमे: at nightfall / at the coming of night
• निशागमे: Adhikarana (Time/occasion/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निशा + आगम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• जनेतारम्: begetter / parent
• जनेतारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जनेतृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Emphasis (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (Particle: 'even')

• त्यक्त्वा: having abandoned
• त्यक्त्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: त्यज् (धातु) + क्त्वा (अव्ययकृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive)

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time adjunct)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: काल-अव्यय (Adverb: 'always')

• यान्ति: they go
• यान्ति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), परस्मैपद

• सुदूरतः: far away
• सुदूरतः: Desha-adhikaraṇa (Spatial adjunct)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सु + दूर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त-अव्यय (Ablatival adverb: 'from far away/at a great distance')

Speaker

Narrative voice (contextual; speaker not explicitly marked in this verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śmaśāna (as motif rather than named tīrtha)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nighttime cremation ground: pyres glowing, jackals at a distance, a greedy figure sneaking among ashes searching for valuables; in contrast, a lonely benefactor left behind on a road, hands outstretched in disbelief.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Greed drives people to transgress fear and gratitude, even to impure places and disloyal actions.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is identified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is descriptive and cautionary.