Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

गृहकर्म परित्यज्य गुरुशुश्रूषणानि च । मिथः संभाषणं चक्रुः स्थानेस्थाने च ताः स्थिताः

Transliteration

gṛhakarma parityajya guruśuśrūṣaṇāni ca | mithaḥ saṃbhāṣaṇaṃ cakruḥ sthānesthāne ca tāḥ sthitāḥ

Translation

ນາງເຫຼົ່ານັ້ນລະທິ້ງວຽກງານໃນເຮືອນ ແລະແມ່ນແຕ່ການປະຄອງຮັບໃຊ້ຄູອາຈານແລະຜູ້ເຖົ້າຜູ້ແກ່ ແລ້ວພາກັນສົນທະນາກັນ ຢືນຢູ່ຕາມບ່ອນຕ່າງໆ ທີ່ນັ້ນທີ່ນີ້।

Word by Word

• gṛhakarma: household work
• gṛhakarma: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gṛha (प्रातिपदिक) + karma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (gṛhasya karma = household duties)

• parityajya: having abandoned
• parityajya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pari-tyaj (धातु) + lyap (ल्यप्)
• Form: ल्यबन्त अव्यय (gerund)

• guruśuśrūṣaṇāni: services to the guru
• guruśuśrūṣaṇāni: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guru (प्रातिपदिक) + śuśrūṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (guroḥ śuśrūṣaṇāni = services to the teacher)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय

• mithaḥ: mutually
• mithaḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: mithaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, परस्परार्थक (reciprocally)

• saṃbhāṣaṇam: conversation
• saṃbhāṣaṇam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sam-bhāṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• cakruḥ: they did, they engaged in
• cakruḥ: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• sthāne: in a place
• sthāne: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sthāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• sthāne: in (each) place
• sthāne: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sthāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (reduplication for distributive sense)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय

• tāḥ: they (those women)
• tāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• sthitāḥ: stood, remained
• sthitāḥ: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sthā (धातु) + kta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त) प्रयोगः; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; स्थित्यर्थक (stood/remained)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) — deductive attribution

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Women ascetics scatter in small groups around the hermitage, abandoning chores and teacher-service; animated conversation replaces disciplined silence; the āśrama’s order visibly loosens.

Characters & Entities

• Guru (elders/teachers)
• Tāpasyaḥ (women ascetics)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is upheld through duty and service; distraction that weakens guru-sevā and daily obligations is a spiritual downfall.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The hermitage precinct within Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s tīrtha-region, used as a stage for teaching āśrama-dharma.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No rite; it emphasizes prescribed conduct: gṛhakarma (right duties) and guruśuśrūṣā (service to teachers/elders).