Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

अत्रिरुवाच । नास्माकं मुनयोऽज्ञानं नास्माकं गृहबुद्धयः । हैमानिमान्विजानंतो ग्रहीष्याम उदुम्बरान्

Transliteration

atriruvāca | nāsmākaṃ munayo'jñānaṃ nāsmākaṃ gṛhabuddhayaḥ | haimānimānvijānaṃto grahīṣyāma udumbarān

Translation

അത്രി പറഞ്ഞു—ഞങ്ങൾ മുനിമാർ അജ്ഞാനികളല്ല; ഗൃഹസ്ഥബുദ്ധിയിലും ഞങ്ങൾ ആസക്തരല്ല. ഇവ സ്വർണമയമായ (മോഹജനകമായ) വഞ്ചനയെന്ന് അറിഞ്ഞ്, ഉദുംബരഫലങ്ങളേ സ്വീകരിക്കൂ.

Word by Word

• अत्रिः: Atri
• अत्रिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अत्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• अस्माकम्: of us/our
• अस्माकम्: Sambandha (Possessor/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• मुनयः: O sages
• मुनयः: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; संबोधनार्थे अपि (addressing)

• अज्ञानम्: ignorance
• अज्ञानम्: Karta (Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध

• अस्माकम्: of us/our
• अस्माकम्: Sambandha (Possessor/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• गृहबुद्धयः: household-mindedness (domestic inclination)
• गृहबुद्धयः: Karta (Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह + बुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; समासः गृहे बुद्धिः येषाम्/गृहविषया बुद्धिः (तत्पुरुष)

• हैमाः: golden
• हैमाः: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हैम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (उदुम्बरान्)

• इमान्: these
• इमान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• विजानन्तः: knowing/recognizing
• विजानन्तः: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्यय (Present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; कर्तरि

• ग्रहिष्यामः: we shall take
• ग्रहिष्यामः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person), बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• उदुम्बरान्: udumbara fruits
• उदुम्बरान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उदुम्बर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

Speaker

Atri

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Munis (within the story)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Atri addresses the gathered sages, palm raised in instruction; beside them lie split fruits showing gold, while untouched udumbara fruits symbolize chosen simplicity.

Characters & Entities

• Atri
• munis (sages)
• udumbara
• gold (haima)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True renunciants recognize the spiritual danger of wealth and deliberately choose simple, non-entangling sustenance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader Tīrthamāhātmya context is being upheld: a tirtha is honored by purity of conduct—especially detachment—rather than by acquisition.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An ethical prescription is implied: refuse wealth and accept simple alms/forest produce suitable for ascetics.