Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 124

Devanagari script

तया नैव गृहे धार्यं सुरामांसं कथंचन । दूषयंति सदा दुष्टा नागराणां सुतानिह

Transliteration

tayā naiva gṛhe dhāryaṃ surāmāṃsaṃ kathaṃcana | dūṣayaṃti sadā duṣṭā nāgarāṇāṃ sutāniha

Translation

അവൾ മൂലം വീട്ടിൽ യാതൊരു വിധത്തിലും മദ്യവും മാംസവും സൂക്ഷിക്കരുത്; കാരണം അത്തരം ദുഷ്ട സ്ത്രീകൾ ഇവിടെ നഗരവാസികളുടെ പുത്രന്മാരെ എപ്പോഴും ദൂഷിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• तया: by her
• तया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental); एकवचन (by her)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation particle)

• एव: at all/indeed
• एव: Avadharana (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक (emphatic particle: indeed/just)

• गृहे: in the house
• गृहे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gṛha (गृह प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी; एकवचन

• धार्यम्: to be kept/allowed
• धार्यम्: Vidhi/Prayojya-bhava (Obligation predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dhṛ (धृ धातु) → धार्य (यत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: यत्-कृदन्त (gerundive/obligatory); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन; विधेय (to be kept/allowed)

• सुरामांसम्: liquor and meat
• सुरामांसम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: surā + māṃsa (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (surā and meat)

• कथंचन: in any way
• कथंचन: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kathaṃcana (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/न्यूनाधिक्यवाचक (in any way/at all)

• दूषयन्ति: they corrupt/spoil
• दूषयन्ति: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dūṣ (दूष् धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present); प्रथमपुरुष; बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नित्यत्ववाचक (always)

• दुष्टाः: wicked (ones)
• दुष्टाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: duṣṭa (दुष्ट प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying implied agents)

• नागराणाम्: of the citizens
• नागराणाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāgara (नागर प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/Genitive); बहुवचन

• सुतानि: children/sons
• सुतानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: suta (सुत प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; बहुवचन

• इह: here
• इह: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (here)

Speaker

Narrator (quoting/reflecting the citizens’ ordinance rationale)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A town elder points to a household threshold, forbidding jars of liquor and meat; in the background, young men are shown being led astray versus being guided toward a shrine/school, illustrating the warning.

Characters & Entities

• Surā (liquor)
• Māṃsa (meat)
• Nāgarāḥ (citizens)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity of environment and habits is treated as protective dharma, especially to safeguard the young and preserve a sacred community’s integrity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The rule is embedded within the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra māhātmya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A conduct rule is stated: surā (liquor) and māṃsa (meat) are not to be kept in the house associated with the ordinance.