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

ഹേ സുന്ദരീ! ഇത് എഴുതിയ രൂപത്തിലായാലും ആരുടെ വീട്ടിൽ നിലനിൽക്കുമോ, അവിടെ ഭൂത-പ്രേതജന്യമായ ദോഷം ഒരിക്കലും ജനിക്കുകയില്ല।

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.