Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

दिवा स्वप्नं वृथान्नं च स्त्रीकथाऽलोक्यमेव च । श्वेतवस्त्रं हिरण्यं च यतीनां पतनानि षट्

Transliteration

divā svapnaṃ vṛthānnaṃ ca strīkathā'lokyameva ca | śvetavastraṃ hiraṇyaṃ ca yatīnāṃ patanāni ṣaṭ

Translation

പകൽ ഉറക്കം, വ്യർത്ഥഭക്ഷണം, സ്ത്രീകഥയും സ്ത്രീദർശനവും, ശ്വേതവസ്ത്രധാരണം, സ്വർണം കൈവശം വയ്ക്കൽ—ഇവ യതികളുടെ പതനത്തിന് ആറ് കാരണങ്ങളെന്ന് പറയുന്നു.

Word by Word

• divā: by day
• divā: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: divā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb of time: by day)

• svapnam: sleep (nap)
• svapnam: Karta (Item/उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svapna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अत्र गणनायां प्रथमा-बहुवचनार्थे (item in list)

• vṛthā-annam: wasteful food/eating
• vṛthā-annam: Karta (Item/उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛthā (अव्यय) + anna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अव्ययीभावः (वृथा अन्नम् = useless food/eating)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपातः

• strī-kathā: talk about women
• strī-kathā: Karta (Item/उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: strī (प्रातिपदिक) + kathā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (स्त्रियाः कथा)

• alokyam: improper seeing/looking (at what should not be seen)
• alokyam: Karta (Item/उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: a + lokya (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘लोक्य’ (√lok + यत्) = to be seen; नञ्-समासः (अलोक्यम्)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपातः

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपातः

• śveta-vastram: white clothing
• śveta-vastram: Karta (Item/उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śveta (प्रातिपदिक) + vastra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (श्वेतं वस्त्रम्)

• hiraṇyam: gold
• hiraṇyam: Karta (Item/उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hiraṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपातः

• yatīnām: of renunciants
• yatīnām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• patanāni: downfalls
• patanāni: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: patana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• ṣaṭ: six
• ṣaṭ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ṣaṭ (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक-विशेषणम्; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचनार्थे (agreeing with patanāni)

Speaker

Unspecified (deduced: didactic narrator within Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cautionary tableau of six vignettes around a central fallen yati: dozing in daylight, overeating, gossiping about women, gazing lustfully, donning bright white finery, and clutching gold—each shown as a chain pulling him downward.

Characters & Entities

• Yati
• Hiraṇya (gold)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A yati must guard sense-restraint and non-possessiveness; lax habits and attachment to wealth or sensual topics lead to spiritual decline.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is identified in this verse; it provides dharma-guidance embedded in the wider tīrtha-māhātmya setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Not a ritual but prohibitions: avoid daytime sleeping, indulgent eating, sensual talk/looking, and possession of gold—maintain ascetic restraint.