Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

समः शत्रौ च मित्रे च समलोष्टाश्मकांचनः । समो मानापमानेषु न प्रेतो जायते नरः

Transliteration

samaḥ śatrau ca mitre ca samaloṣṭāśmakāṃcanaḥ | samo mānāpamāneṣu na preto jāyate naraḥ

Translation

ശത്രുവിലും മിത്രനിലും സമചിത്തനായി, മണ്ണുകട്ട, കല്ല്, സ്വർണം എന്നിവയെ സമമായി കണ്ട്, മാനാപമാനങ്ങളിൽ സമനായി നിലകൊള്ളുന്നവൻ—അവൻ പ്രേതയോണിയിൽ ജനിക്കുകയില്ല।

Word by Word

• samaḥ: equanimous, equal-minded
• samaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• śatrau: toward/in the enemy
• śatrau: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śatru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• mitre: toward/in the friend
• mitre: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mitra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• samaloṣṭāśmakāṃcanaḥ: to whom clod, stone, and gold are equal
• samaloṣṭāśmakāṃcanaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sama (प्रातिपदिक) + loṣṭa (प्रातिपदिक) + aśman (प्रातिपदिक) + kāñcana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (समानः लोष्टे अश्मनि काञ्चने च इति)

• samaḥ: equanimous
• samaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• mānāpamāneṣu: in honor and dishonor
• mānāpamāneṣu: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māna (प्रातिपदिक) + apamāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन; समासः—द्वन्द्वः (मानः च अपमानः च)

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation particle)

• pretaḥ: a preta (departed spirit)
• pretaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: preta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विधेय (predicate-noun)

• jāyate: is born, becomes
• jāyate: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jan (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; भावे/कर्मणि प्रयोगः—‘is born/becomes’

• naraḥ: a man
• naraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Māṃsāda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene ascetic-householder figure stands between a friend offering garlands and an enemy hurling insults; at his feet lie a clod of earth, a stone, and a gold ornament—he remains unmoved, eyes half-closed in calm.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Equanimity and non-attachment are presented as high dharma that stabilizes the mind and refines karma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tirtha is named here; the verse gives universal yogic-ethical qualities within a tīrtha discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No external rite; it prescribes inner discipline: samatva in relationships, possessions, and social regard.