Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

तथा सर्वमयी लक्ष्मीः सतीत्वान्नैव हीयते । प्रतिमासु च सर्वासु सर्वभूतेषु नित्यदा

Transliteration

tathā sarvamayī lakṣmīḥ satītvānnaiva hīyate | pratimāsu ca sarvāsu sarvabhūteṣu nityadā

Translation

അതുപോലെ സർവ്വവ്യാപിനിയായ ലക്ഷ്മീ തന്റെ സതീത്വവും ശുചിത്വവും കൊണ്ടു ഒരിക്കലും ക്ഷയിക്കുകയില്ല. അവൾ എല്ലാ പ്രതിമകളിലും എല്ലാ ജീവികളിലും എല്ലാകാലവും നിത്യമായി വസിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• तथा: so, likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: in that manner)

• सर्वमयी: consisting of all
• सर्वमयी: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + मयी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Feminine, Nominative, Singular; विशेषणम् (लक्ष्मीः)

• लक्ष्मीः: Lakshmi
• लक्ष्मीः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्ष्मी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• सतीत्वात्: because of chastity/virtue
• सतीत्वात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सतीत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Ablative, Singular; हेत्वर्थ (cause)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• एव: indeed, at all
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• हीयते: is diminished, declines
• हीयते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √हा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive), आत्मनेपद — Present, 3rd person, Singular; Passive

• प्रतिमासु: in images/idols
• प्रतिमासु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतिमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Feminine, Locative, Plural

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

• सर्वासु: in all
• सर्वासु: Adhikarana (Qualifier/अधिकरण-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Feminine, Locative, Plural; विशेषणम् (प्रतिमासु)

• सर्वभूतेषु: in all beings
• सर्वभूतेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + भूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Neuter, Locative, Plural

• नित्यदा: always
• नित्यदा: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced: Nāgara Khaṇḍa māhātmya narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śrī-Lakṣmī as a luminous, all-pervading presence: simultaneously seated with Nārāyaṇa on a lotus and subtly radiating into temple icons and into diverse beings—humans, devas, animals, plants—signifying nitya-sthiti.

Characters & Entities

• Lakṣmī
• Pratimā (icon/image)
• All beings

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine presence is constant and undiminishing; Lakṣmī’s purity signifies inexhaustible auspiciousness in worship and life.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse is doctrinal and universal in scope; it does not specify a single tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It implicitly validates pratimā (icon) worship by affirming Lakṣmī’s abiding presence in all images.