Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

सर्वत्र समदृष्टीनां गेहे मुक्तिर्हि शाश्वती । ज्ञानमेव महेशान मनुष्याणां सुदुर्लभम्

Transliteration

sarvatra samadṛṣṭīnāṃ gehe muktirhi śāśvatī | jñānameva maheśāna manuṣyāṇāṃ sudurlabham

Translation

സർവ്വത്ര സമദൃഷ്ടിയുള്ളവർക്ക് ഗൃഹത്തിൽ വസിച്ചാലും മോക്ഷം ശാശ്വതമാണ്. ഹേ മഹേശാന, മനുഷ്യർക്കു ജ്ഞാനമേ അത്യന്തം ദുർലഭം.

Word by Word

• सर्वत्र: everywhere
• सर्वत्र: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sarvatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of place: 'everywhere')

• समदृष्टीनाम्: of the even-sighted (equanimous)
• समदृष्टीनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sama (प्रातिपदिक) + dṛṣṭi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कर्मधारयभावः: 'समा दृष्टिः येषाम्'); पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी, बहुवचन (Genitive plural)

• गेहे: in the house
• गेहे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: geha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन (Locative singular)

• मुक्तिः: liberation
• मुक्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mukti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन (Nominative singular)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Nipāta (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic/causal particle: 'indeed/for')

• शाश्वती: eternal
• शाश्वती: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śāśvatī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन (agreeing with मुक्तिः)

• ज्ञानम्: knowledge
• ज्ञानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jñāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन (Nominative singular)

• एव: alone, indeed
• एव: Nipāta (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण-निपात (restrictive particle: 'only/indeed')

• महेशान: O Mahēśāna (Great Lord)
• महेशान: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + īśāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास; पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन, एकवचन (Vocative singular)

• मनुष्याणाम्: of humans
• मनुष्याणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manuṣya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन (Genitive plural)

• सुदुर्लभम्: very hard to obtain
• सुदुर्लभम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su (अव्यय-उपसर्ग) + durlabha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (predicate adjective agreeing with ज्ञानम्)

Speaker

A devotee/teacher addressing Maheśāna (Śiva) within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya (exact named speaker not explicit)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene ascetic-teacher addressing Mahēśāna; behind, a householder’s courtyard subtly shown as a place of liberation—equal gaze toward all beings.

Characters & Entities

• Maheśāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Mokṣa depends on equal vision and knowledge, not on external renunciation; even a householder can be eternally free.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha-māhātmya setting frames the teaching, but this verse itself does not identify a particular pilgrimage site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is mentioned; the verse highlights jñāna and sama-darśana as the decisive factors.