Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

यत्र नैव हरिः स्वामी तीर्थे गेहेऽथ मानसे । शास्त्रे वा तदसत्सर्वं हांसं तीर्थं न वायसम्

Transliteration

yatra naiva hariḥ svāmī tīrthe gehe'tha mānase | śāstre vā tadasatsarvaṃ hāṃsaṃ tīrthaṃ na vāyasam

Translation

തീർത്ഥത്തിലോ, വീട്ടിലോ, മനസ്സിലോ, ശാസ്ത്രത്തിലോ പോലും സ്വാമിയായ ഹരി ഇല്ലെങ്കിൽ—അവിടെ എല്ലാം നിഷ്ഫലം. തീർത്ഥം ഹംസത്തെപ്പോലെ ശുദ്ധവും വിവേകവുമുള്ളതാകണം; കാക്കയെപ്പോലെ അല്ല।

Word by Word

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—देशवाचक (relative adverb: where)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—निषेध

• एव: indeed; only
• एव: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—अवधारण (emphasis/only)

• हरिः: Hari (Viṣṇu)
• हरिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• स्वामी: lord; master
• स्वामी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वामिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; 'हरिः' इत्यस्य विशेषण/अप्पोजिशन्

• तीर्थे: in a tīrtha
• तीर्थे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• गेहे: in a house
• गेहे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• अथ: and then; also
• अथ: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—अनन्तर/प्रसङ्ग (then/and also)

• मानसे: in the mind
• मानसे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• शास्त्रे: in scripture
• शास्त्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शास्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—विकल्प (disjunctive: or)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'सर्वम्' इत्यस्य विशेषण

• असत्: untrue; worthless
• असत्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: असत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'सर्वम्' इति विशेषण

• सर्वम्: all (of that)
• सर्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• हांसम्: swan-like; of a swan
• हांसम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हंस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'तीर्थम्' इति विशेषण

• तीर्थम्: a tīrtha
• तीर्थम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—निषेध

• वायसम्: crow-like; of a crow
• वायसम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वायस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'तीर्थम्' इति विशेषण

Speaker

Nārada

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Kauravya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Didactic tableau: Nārada explains four spheres—tīrtha, home shrine, meditating heart, and palm-leaf scripture—each illuminated by a subtle Hari aura; a swan sits by clear water while a crow lingers near refuse, symbolizing discernment.

Characters & Entities

• Hari (Viṣṇu)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacredness is defined by divine presence and inner purity; without Hari, external forms lose their living essence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse teaches a universal criterion for tīrthas rather than naming one; it frames the ideal tīrtha as ‘haṃsa-like’ (pure).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An implicit prescription: establish and maintain Hari’s worship in tīrtha, home, and mind; cultivate purity and discernment (haṃsa-bhāva).