Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

नमेरुः स्वर्णपूर्णत्वाद्रत्नसानुतयाथवा । सुरसद्मतयावापि क्वापि मान्यो मतो मम

Transliteration

nameruḥ svarṇapūrṇatvādratnasānutayāthavā | surasadmatayāvāpi kvāpi mānyo mato mama

Translation

ମୋ ମତରେ ମେରୁ କେବଳ ସୁବର୍ଣ୍ଣରେ ପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣ ଥିବାରୁ, କିମ୍ବା ରତ୍ନମୟ ଢାଳ ଥିବାରୁ, ଅଥବା ଦେବମାନଙ୍କ ନିବାସ ହେବାରୁ ମାତ୍ର କେଉଁଠି ମାନ୍ୟ ନୁହେଁ।

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• मेरुः: Meru
• मेरुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• स्वर्णपूर्णत्वात्: because of being full of gold
• स्वर्णपूर्णत्वात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ण-पूर्णत्व (प्रातिपदिक; समास: स्वर्ण + पूर्णत्व)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन; हेतौ

• रत्नसानुतया: by/with jewel-peaks (having jewel ridges)
• रत्नसानुतया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रत्न-सानुता (प्रातिपदिक; समास: रत्न + सानुता)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; करण/हेतुवाचक

• अथवा: or
• अथवा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथवा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (or)

• सुरसद्मतया: by being the abode of gods
• सुरसद्मतया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर-सद्मता (प्रातिपदिक; समास: सुर + सद्मता)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; हेतौ/करणे

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (or)

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक-अव्यय (also/even)

• क्व: where
• क्व: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्व (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्न/अनिर्देशवाचक-अव्यय (where)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अप्यर्थक-अव्यय (even/also)

• मान्यः: worthy of honour
• मान्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मान्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषण

• मतः: considered
• मतः: Kriya (Predicative/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मत (कृदन्त; √मन्/√मि धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; ‘considered’

• मम: by me/of me
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

Speaker

Vindhya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Meru (Sumeru)

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis / internal audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Meru depicted as a dazzling golden mountain with jeweled terraces and celestial palaces, while the speaker’s gesture indicates ‘not for this alone’; a calm, discerning expression dominates.

Characters & Entities

• Meru
• Devas (Suras)
• Vindhya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

External splendor—gold, jewels, even heavenly status—does not by itself define true greatness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None directly; it is an ethical-cosmological comparison within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative frame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.