Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

चंदनस्य परित्यागाद्गांधर्वं लोकमश्नुते । कर्पूरस्य परित्यागाद्यावज्जीवं महाधनी

Transliteration

caṃdanasya parityāgādgāṃdharvaṃ lokamaśnute | karpūrasya parityāgādyāvajjīvaṃ mahādhanī

Translation

ചന്ദനം ഉപേക്ഷിച്ചാൽ ഗന്ധർവ്വലോകം പ്രാപിക്കും. കർപ്പൂരം ഉപേക്ഷിച്ചാൽ ജീവപര്യന്തം മഹാധനവാൻ ആകുന്നു.

Word by Word

• चन्दनस्य: of sandalwood
• चन्दनस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठीविभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• परित्यागात्: from renunciation/abstaining
• परित्यागात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परि-त्याग (प्रातिपदिक; त्यज्-धातुजन्य भावनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमीविभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• गान्धर्वम्: Gandharva (celestial)
• गान्धर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गान्धर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (लोकम् इति)

• लोकम्: world
• लोकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• अश्नुते: attains
• अश्नुते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• कर्पूरस्य: of camphor
• कर्पूरस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्पूर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठीविभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• परित्यागात्: from renunciation/abstaining
• परित्यागात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परि-त्याग (प्रातिपदिक; त्यज्-धातुजन्य भावनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमीविभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• यावत्-जीवम्: for (one’s) whole life
• यावत्-जीवम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + जीव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्ययार्थे (adverbial) ‘जीवम्’ द्वितीया-एकवचन रूपं; अर्थः—यावज्जीवम् (as long as one lives)

• महाधनी: very wealthy
• महाधनी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (उपसर्गवत्/प्रातिपदिक) + धनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (अध्याहृतः ‘सः/मनुष्यः’)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya didactic narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee at a shrine declines sandal paste and camphor for self-use; celestial Gandharvas appear faintly above as a promised destination; a treasury motif symbolizes lifelong wealth.

Characters & Entities

• Gandharva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Renouncing luxury-fragrances as a vow transforms desire into merit, yielding exalted realms and prosperity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse emphasizes vow-fruit (phala) rather than naming a particular pilgrimage site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Austerity through abstaining from sandalwood and camphor (commonly used for adornment and worship).