Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मचारियतिभ्यां च सेविता मोक्षदायिनी । एतेषां सर्ववृक्षाणां छेदनं नैव कारयेत्

Transliteration

brahmacāriyatibhyāṃ ca sevitā mokṣadāyinī | eteṣāṃ sarvavṛkṣāṇāṃ chedanaṃ naiva kārayet

Translation

ബ്രഹ്മചാരികളും യതികളും സേവിച്ചാൽ അത് മോക്ഷദായിനിയാകുന്നു; ഈ പവിത്ര വൃക്ഷങ്ങളിൽ ഒന്നിനെയും വെട്ടിപ്പൊളിക്കാൻ ഒരിക്കലും കാരണമാകരുത്.

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मचारि-यतिभ्याम्: by a brahmacārin and a yati (ascetic)
• ब्रह्मचारि-यतिभ्याम्: Karana (Agent/means in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मचारिन् (प्रातिपदिक) + यति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समासः (copulative): ब्रह्मचारिणौ च यतयः च; तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental/3rd), द्विवचनम् (dual)

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

• सेविता: is served/worshipped
• सेविता: Kriya (Predicate in passive sense/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सेवित (कृदन्त; √सेव्)
• Form: भूतकृत्-प्रत्ययान्तः (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; मोक्षदायिनी इति विशेष्य/समनाधिकरणम्

• मोक्षदायिनी: liberation-giving
• मोक्षदायिनी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मोक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + दायिनी (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक from √दा)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; समासः: मोक्षं ददाति इति (giver of liberation)

• एतेषाम्: of these
• एतेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive/6th), बहुवचनम्

• सर्ववृक्षाणाम्: of all trees
• सर्ववृक्षाणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + वृक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; समासः: सर्वे वृक्षाः (all trees)

• छेदनम्: cutting/felling
• छेदनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: छेदन (प्रातिपदिक; from √छिद्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्ययम् (negation)

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

• कारयेत्: should not cause (it) to be done
• कारयेत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम् (singular), परस्मैपदम्; णिच्-प्रयोगः (causative): ‘should cause to be done’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A brahmacārin and a yati (renunciant) respectfully tending sacred trees; an axe set aside or broken to symbolize the prohibition of cutting; a serene forest-ashram setting.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmacārin
• Yati (renunciant)
• Sacred trees

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Protection of sacred life (non-harm to revered trees) is integral to dharma and is linked to liberation-oriented devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The ‘site’ is the sanctified grove/tree context within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa tīrtha narrative, emphasizing sacred ecology.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Do not cut these sacred trees; instead, serve them—an observance suitable for students and renunciants as well.