Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

नेर्ष्या चैवात्र कर्तव्या स्वस्थानस्य विनाशनी । निरूपितं मया सम्यक्स्थानस्थस्य विशुद्धये

Transliteration

nerṣyā caivātra kartavyā svasthānasya vināśanī | nirūpitaṃ mayā samyaksthānasthasya viśuddhaye

Translation

ഇവിടെ അസൂയ പാടില്ല; അത് സ്വന്തം സ്ഥാനത്തെ തന്നെ നശിപ്പിക്കുന്നു. സ്വധർമ്മസ്ഥാനത്തിൽ നിലകൊള്ളുന്നവന്റെ ശുദ്ധിക്കായി ഞാൻ ഇത് യഥാവിധി നിർണ്ണയിച്ചു പറഞ്ഞു.

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• ईर्ष्या: envy
• ईर्ष्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईर्ष्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• कर्तव्या: should be done/should be (entertained)
• कर्तव्या: Karya (Obligation/कार्य)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृत् प्रत्यय) → कर्तव्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive/obligatory), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)

• स्वस्थानस्य: of one’s own place/state
• स्वस्थानस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative: 'स्वस्य स्थानम्'), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (singular)

• विनाशनी: destroying; ruinous
• विनाशनी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + नश् (धातु) + णिनि (कृत् प्रत्यय) → विनाशनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्तरि-णिनि-प्रत्ययान्त (agentive/causative sense: 'destroying'), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)

• निरूपितम्: has been explained/laid down
• निरूपितम्: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि + रूप् (धातु) + क्त (कृत्) → निरूपित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (singular)

• मया: by me
• मया: Kartr-karana (Agent in passive/कर्ता-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम (1st person pronoun), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (singular)

• सम्यक्: properly; correctly
• सम्यक्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्यक् (अव्यय)
• Form: रीतिवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of manner)

• स्थानस्थस्य: of one who is in (his proper) place
• स्थानस्थस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष (locative determinative: 'स्थाने स्थितः' → 'स्थानस्थ'), पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (singular)

• विशुद्धये: for purification
• विशुद्धये: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन (singular)

Speaker

Bhartṛyajña

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas / tīrtha-assembly

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The teacher cautions the assembly: envy is shown as a dark, corrosive force eroding a person’s pedestal, while calm devotees remain steady in their rightful station.

Characters & Entities

• Dharma (proper station/role implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Envy corrodes spiritual progress; purity is protected by honoring one’s rightful duty and place.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse occurs within the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra-māhātmya narrative frame, but it gives a universal ethical teaching rather than naming a tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A behavioral discipline is prescribed: refrain from jealousy as part of inner purification.