Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

मानुषं न करिष्यामि निष्कामं च कथंचन । निर्विष्टो भ्रममाणोऽत्र संसारे दारुणे ततः

Transliteration

mānuṣaṃ na kariṣyāmi niṣkāmaṃ ca kathaṃcana | nirviṣṭo bhramamāṇo'tra saṃsāre dāruṇe tataḥ

Translation

“ഈ മനുഷ്യജീവിതത്തെ ഞാൻ യാതൊരു വിധത്തിലും നിഷ്കാമമാക്കാൻ കഴിയില്ല; കാരണം ഈ ദാരുണ സംസാരത്തിൽ അലഞ്ഞുതിരിഞ്ഞ് എനിക്ക് വിരക്തി വന്നിരിക്കുന്നു.”

Word by Word

• mānuṣam: human (state/act)
• mānuṣam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mānuṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation)

• kariṣyāmi: I will do/make
• kariṣyāmi: Kriyā (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• niṣkāmam: desireless, without desire
• niṣkāmam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: niṣkāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (mānuṣam इति विशेष्ये)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक निपात (and)

• kathaṃcana: in any way, at all
• kathaṃcana: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kathaṃcana (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकार/कदाचनार्थे (in any way/at all)

• nirviṣṭaḥ: entered, immersed
• nirviṣṭaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nir + viś (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: क्त-कृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• bhramamāṇaḥ: wandering
• bhramamāṇaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhram (धातु) + śatṛ (शतृ)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (present participle active), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• atra: here
• atra: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (here)

• saṃsāre: in worldly existence
• saṃsāre: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃsāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• dāruṇe: terrible, harsh
• dāruṇe: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dāruṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; विशेषण (saṃsāre इति विशेष्ये)

• tataḥ: thereafter, from that
• tataḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, तस्मात्/ततः-अर्थे (thereafter/therefrom)

Speaker

Garbhastha being (unidentified by name in snippet)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The foetus’ voice (or subtle form) expresses renunciation: a dark, stormy wheel of saṃsāra behind, contrasted with a calm light of detachment; Vyāsa appears solemn, recognizing the gravity.

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa
• Saṃsāra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It advocates niṣkāma orientation—turning human life away from craving due to insight into saṃsāra’s harshness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this verse; the teaching is ethical and liberation-focused within a māhātmya chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; the prescription is inner discipline: desirelessness (niṣkāmatā).