Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

न स्नानं देवताहोमस्तपोनियम एव च । न स्वाध्यायवषट्कारौ न च शुद्धिर्विवाहिता

Transliteration

na snānaṃ devatāhomastaponiyama eva ca | na svādhyāyavaṣaṭkārau na ca śuddhirvivāhitā

Translation

ഇവർക്കു സ്നാനവിധിയുടെ നിർബന്ധമില്ല; ദേവതാഹോമവും ഇല്ല; തപസ്സും നിയമങ്ങളും ഇല്ല. വഷട്കാരസഹിത സ്വാധ്യായവും ഇല്ല; വിവാഹബന്ധ ശുദ്ധിവിധിയും നിർബന്ധമായി വിധിക്കപ്പെട്ടിട്ടില്ല.

Word by Word

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

• snānam: bathing
• snānam: Karma/Predicate nominal (कर्म/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: snāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• devatāhomaḥ: oblations to deities
• devatāhomaḥ: Karta/Predicate nominal (कर्ता/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devatā (प्रातिपदिक) + homa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (देवतायाः होमः)

• tapaḥ: austerity
• tapaḥ: Karma/Predicate nominal (कर्म/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• niyamaḥ: observance/discipline
• niyamaḥ: Karta/Predicate nominal (कर्ता/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: niyama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• eva: indeed/only
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

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

• svādhyāyaḥ: self-study (Vedic recitation)
• svādhyāyaḥ: Karta/Predicate nominal (कर्ता/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svādhyāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• vaṣaṭkārau: the vaṣaṭ-calls (ritual exclamations)
• vaṣaṭkārau: Karta/Predicate nominal (कर्ता/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaṣaṭkāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन

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

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• śuddhiḥ: purification
• śuddhiḥ: Karta/Predicate nominal (कर्ता/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śuddhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• vivāhitā: (that which is) through marriage / marital
• vivāhitā: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vivāhita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying śuddhiḥ)

Speaker

Brahmā (in Brahma–Nārada dialogue context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teacher explains ritual boundaries: a homa-kuṇḍa and Vedic implements shown to one side, while artisans stand respectfully with folded hands, indicating alternative paths of merit.

Characters & Entities

• homa
• svādhyāya
• vaṣaṭ

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma differentiates obligations by eligibility; spiritual good is not reduced to a single ritual template for all.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse appears within the tīrtha-centered Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra Māhātmya context of the Nāgara Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It discusses non-obligation (rather than prescription) regarding snāna, homa, svādhyāya, vaṣaṭ-calls, and marriage purifications.