Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

सिद्धिमूल्ये न गृह्णातु कश्चिच्चेदस्ति सात्त्विकः । ततश्च याचते यश्च प्रगृह्णाति च सद्द्विजाः

Transliteration

siddhimūlye na gṛhṇātu kaściccedasti sāttvikaḥ | tataśca yācate yaśca pragṛhṇāti ca saddvijāḥ

Translation

യഥാർത്ഥത്തിൽ സാത്ത്വികനായവൻ സിദ്ധി നൽകുന്നതിനായി ഒരു ‘മൂല്യവും’ സ്വീകരിക്കരുത്. പിന്നെ അത് ചോദിക്കുന്നവരും സ്വീകരിക്കുന്നവരും—പേരിനുള്ള സദ്ദ്വിജർ—

Word by Word

• सिद्धिमूल्ये: as a price for siddhi
• सिद्धिमूल्ये: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिद्धि + मूल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (सिद्धेः मूल्यं)

• न: not
• न: Nishedha (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation)

• गृह्णातु: let (him) take/accept
• गृह्णातु: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• कश्चित्: someone / anyone
• कश्चित्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कश्चित् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अनिश्चित-प्रत्यय (indefinite pronoun)

• चेत्: if
• चेत्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/शर्त)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चेत् (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्त-निपात (conditional particle: if)

• अस्ति: is
• अस्ति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• सात्त्विकः: sattvic / pure-minded
• सात्त्विकः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सात्त्विक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (कश्चित्)

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-visheshaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय-क्रियाविशेषण (thereupon/then)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)

• याचते: asks/begs
• याचते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: याच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात

• प्रगृह्णाति: accepts/takes
• प्रगृह्णाति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात

• सद्द्विजाः: good/brāhmaṇa twice-born (people)
• सद्द्विजाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत् + द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (सन्तः द्विजाः)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the ṛṣis (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Citreśvarīpīṭha

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A moral admonition scene: a sāttvika pilgrim refuses to pay for ‘siddhi’; a brāhmaṇa intermediary is shown tempted by coins; the temple seat stands luminous, implying that grace cannot be bought.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual power and religious service must not be commercialized; sāttvika conduct rejects taking payment for ‘siddhi’ or religious favors.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The ethical instruction occurs within the Citreśvarīpīṭha/Hāṭakeśvara-liṅga māhātmya context of this adhyāya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A behavioral rule is given: do not accept or solicit ‘siddhi-mūlya’ (payment for spiritual attainment).